Love and Honor
by sparkle7311
Summary: An unplanned pregnancy causes some big problems and life altering events for Starsky and Hutch.
1. Chapter 1

**LOVE AND HONOR**

 **An unplanned pregnancy causes some big problems and life altering events for Starsky and Hutch.**

 **Warning: This chapter does contain graphic scenes of sexual activity. If this offends you, please do not read any further.**

 **A/N: With all the sex that both Starsky and Hutch seemed to have on the show, I felt that, no matter how careful they were, an unplanned pregnancy was always a possibly. I wrote this story some time ago,** **and it was published here under a different title. Besides changing the title, I have also rewritten and expanded it.**

 **CHAPTER ONE**

David Starsky moaned and thrust his hips forward as his girlfriend closed her lips around his manhood, her tongue sliding along the throbbing shaft. She had been teasing him for almost an hour, bringing him right to the edge of completion and then backing off. His hands reached out to caress the woman's back as her talented mouth continued to torment him.

"That's enough…" Starsky growled, "I need you, baby. I need you now!"

Jessica laughed and tossed her long chestnut colored hair over her shoulders as she straightened up and looked into her lover's smoldering eyes. "Take me, baby. I'm all yours." She whispered seductively. She straddled Starsky's hips, her hot, wet center brushing lightly against the head of his cock.

Grabbing her hips with his hands to keep her positioned, Starsky groaned as he sank his engorged cock deep inside of her. Once he was buried to the hilt in her welcoming wetness, he rolled to one side so that she was lying on the bed beneath him. Smiling down into her laughing brown eyes, he began to thrust his hips in the ageless rhythm of love. Jessica's eyes closed in pleasure, her long nails digging into his shoulders, answering each forward thrust with a thrust of her own. They reached a climax together, crying out as their bodies exploded and then collapsing, tangled in each other's arms.

Starsky buried his face in her fragrant tresses which smelled like apple blossoms. They had only been dating for a few weeks but had already discovered that they had a lot in common. Both were originally from New York, they were familiar with the same neighborhoods and stores back home. They were both junk food addicts who loved pizzas and tacos. And they shared the same childish enthusiasm for the holidays and surprises. Jessica even liked Starsky's car, which was a big plus in his eyes. The only drawback to the relationship was the fact that Jessica and Starsky's partner, Ken Hutchinson, didn't always see eye to eye.

"David," Jessica said hesitantly, tracing circles through the brunet's chest hair. "I'm late…"

"Late for what?" Starsky asked drowsily, lulled into a deep relaxation from hours of good sex.

"My period's late," Jessica clarified, looking at Starsky with fear-filled eyes. "Almost two weeks..."

"What?" Starsky said, alert and awake now. "You said you were on the pill."

He didn't mean to sound judgmental. He had used a condom until Jessica had convinced him that it wasn't necessary since she was on the pill. He had ignored his own responsibility for birth control and had unprotected sex.

"I am," She said, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She blinked rapidly to control her emotions and sighed softy. "But I guess I must have forgotten to take one or something."

"Have you seen a doctor?"

"Not yet."

"Well, you need to make an appointment," Starsky scolded her gently. "Maybe something else is wrong." The threat of an unplanned pregnancy was unsettling, but Starsky was prepared to be a man and take responsibility if she was pregnant.

"I don't think so," Jessica admitted. "I've been getting sick in the mornings, and my breasts are tender."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I was afraid to. I was afraid you'd get mad and want to break up." She looked at him with a wide-eyed innocence that tugged at the streetwise cop's emotions.

"First things first," Starsky told her, with a gentle smile and a tender kiss. "Go see the doctor and make sure. Then we'll figure out what we're going to do…together."

"And if I am?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"I won't have an abortion," Jessica said firmly. "I couldn't do something like that."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Starsky said quietly. Although he believed in a woman's right to choose, faced with the possibility of it being his baby that would be aborted, he was strongly against it. If Jessica was pregnant, the child didn't ask to be conceived through carelessness on the part of his or her parents.

"I'll call my doctor first thing in the morning," Jessica told him.

Still nestled in his arms, she fell into a troubled, restless sleep. Starsky remained awake staring into the darkness. He had always planned on being a father someday, just not quite like this. But, if Jessica was pregnant, which he strongly suspected she was, he would support her and the baby. He wouldn't run out on her the way a lot of men did under similar circumstances. And, if she wanted to get married, he would do that, although he knew that he didn't love her, not the way that he had loved Terry or Rosie Malone. Finally he fell into a restless slumber.

Two hours later when his alarm jarred him awake, he dragged himself out of bed and into the shower to clear the cobwebs out of his head before getting dressed and leaving to pick Hutch up for work. He scribbled a note to Jessica, who was still sleeping, and left it on the kitchen table, telling her that they would talk more that evening after she saw the doctor.

Hutch was standing on the curb in front of his building, waiting impatiently, when Starsky pulled up in front of him. As soon as he climbed into the car, he immediately picked up on Starsky's subdued mood. "Late night with Jessica?" He guessed, eyeing the dark circles under his best friend's eyes.

"You could say that," Starsky said without elaborating. He sighed heavily. Hutch was his best friend and the one person Starsky trusted more than anyone else. He told the big blond everything and this was no exception. "Jessica thinks she might be pregnant. Her period is two weeks late."

Hutch looked at his friend with a stunned expression on his face. Both men had had more their share of girlfriends and one night stands. But, they were both responsible sexual partners and always took precautions against this sort of 'accident'. "Didn't you use a condom?" he asked.

"Yeah…," Starsky said. He could feel a deep flush creeping into his face at his admission of momentarily carelessness. "But, Jessica said she was on the pill."

"And you believed her?" Hutch scolded him.

"Hey, I saw her take it a couple of times!" Starsky said in his own defense. "And one night I was out of rubbers and I wasn't about to run to the drugstore to buy some."

"I'm not blaming you, pal," Hutch said soothingly, "It's not your fault…or hers. Sometimes these things happen. What are you going to do if she is?"

"What can I do?" Starsky said glumly. "It's my baby. I'll do the right thing."

"Does she want to get married?"

"We haven't talked about that yet."

"Starsk, don't take this the wrong way…but, if she is pregnant, are you sure that it's yours?

"As sure as I can be," Starsky declared. "Besides, she wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I'm not suggesting that she's lying. All I'm saying is that it seems a little too convenient that you just met the girl and now she's telling you that she's pregnant."

"She said she must have forgotten to take one of the pills," Starsky said with a rueful smile. "It's not like either one of us bothered counting them."

"You know I'll stand by you no matter what you decide to do," Hutch told him. "Just take my advice, and don't rush into anything here. Don't let her pressure you into doing anything that you're not ready to do."

"Like getting married, you mean..." Starsky said with a decisive snort.

"Come on, Starsk…you know you're not ready for that. I know that you don't love her."

"Love has nothing to do with it. Taking responsibility for getting her pregnant is what's important."

"I agree. But, you can still do that without marrying her. You can support her and the child. Admit paternity and give the baby your last name. You can do that without marrying the mother," Hutch pointed out. "I mean it's not like it used to be when you didn't have much choice. What if Jessica decides not to keep the baby? What if she wants to give it up for adoption?"

"Then I'll go along with that too," Starsky declared. "I already told her that whatever she decides to do, we're in this together."

"Has she seen a doctor?"

"Not yet. She's going to today."

"At least then you'll know…one way or the other," Hutch said, reaching out to clasp his partner's shoulder encouragingly. "Then you can make some decisions about the future."

Starsky nodded. He felt marginally better after talking it out with Hutch. Everything he said made sense. There was a part of Starsky that hoped it was a mistake and that Jessica wasn't pregnant. But, he knew that was doubtful. Morning sickness and tender breasts seemed to confirm it.

The day passed slowly without any major mishaps. The partners patrolled their assigned district, talked to a few snitches, arrested a purse snatcher, and answered a couple of minor complaints. When they logged out for the day, Starsky dropped Hutch off at his apartment. As he climbed out of the car, Hutch peered back in the side window at Starsky and said,

"Call me later if you need to talk."

"I will, Mom," Starsky promised with a crooked smile. With a wave of his hand, he pulled away from the curb and headed for home.

Jessica's car was already parked in his driveway when he arrived. As he climbed out of his car and she climbed out of hers, one look at the expression on her face was enough to confirm his worst fears. His life was about to change forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"She's pregnant," a subdued voice said when Hutch picked up the phone. "The baby's due in August…right around your birthday, Blondie. How about that?" Although Starsky was obviously trying hard to sound enthusiastic, it was apparent that he was unsettled by the news.

"Is Jessica still there?"

"No, she left," Starsky said "She said she figured that we both needed some time alone."

"Do you want me to come over?"

"Naw, you don't have to. I'm a big boy. I'll be okay." Despite Starsky's denial, Hutch could hear the despondent timbre in his friend's voice.

"Put on some coffee," Hutch said firmly. "I'll be there in thirty." He put the receiver back on the cradle before Starsky could protest.

True to his word, Hutch arrived at his partner's apartment thirty minutes later, bearing a large deluxe pizza and a six pack of beer. Starsky's eyes lit up at the sight of the food in his partner's hands as his stomach growled hungrily reminding him that he'd been too distracted to eat all day. That was indeed unusual for the typically ravenous brunet and a good indication of his state of mind.

Starsky opened two beers, passing one to Hutch and keeping one. He settled down on the sofa and helped himself to slice of pizza, cramming the hot, spicy pie in his mouth.

"So, did you and Jessica get a chance to talk about what you're going to do now?" Hutch asked as he took a much smaller bite of his own slice.

"A little," Starsky admitted around another huge bite of pizza. "She wants to keep the baby." He lowered his eyes to avoid looking at his partner as he added in a softer tone, "And she wants to get married."

"What did you tell her?"

"That we'd talk about it more later." He raised his eyes to look at his partner beseechingly. "I can't just turn my back on her, Hutch."

"I know that, pal. Nobody expects you to."

"I told her that even if we got married everybody would know that it was because we had to, not because I asked her to."

"What did she say to that?"

"She said she didn't care. She knows I don't love her, but she still expects me to do the right thing like I promised."

"That doesn't mean that you have to marry her," Hutch said, repeating the same guidance he had given Starsky earlier. "You can still do the right thing by her without doing that."

"I know. Maybe we can come to some kind of compromise that we can both live with."

"Do you really think that Jessica is going to want to compromise? Or is she going to force you into a loveless marriage that will make both of you miserable?"

"We could learn to love each other…for the baby's sake," Starsky said in a voice that sounded as if he was trying to convince himself of that as well as Hutch.

"You'd both end up hating each other, trapped in a marriage for all the wrong reasons. And the baby would grow up knowing it. Believe me, buddy, I know. I grew up listening to my parents fighting when they thought I was asleep. My dad used to scream at my mom and tell her that he would never have married her if she hadn't been pregnant with me. And she'd scream back that he ruined her life and destroyed all of her dreams."

"You never told me that," Starsky said in a mildly surprised voice. He knew that Hutch didn't have a good relationship with his parents, but Hutch had never said why.

"It's not exactly the kind of thing you go around advertising," Hutch said with a bitter smile. "I always used to think that I was the reason my parents couldn't get along." He looked at his best friend somberly. "I don't want to see you forced into that kind of marriage, buddy."

"It wouldn't have to be like that with me and Jessica," Starsky said, feeling the need to defend his absent girlfriend. "She's scared. She's afraid that I'll run out on her."

"Then she doesn't know you like I do. I know you'd never do that."

"I think that's why she wants to get married so bad…so she can be sure of that."

"Getting married won't stop you from leaving if you want to," Hutch said pointedly, remembering his own desperately unhappy and failed marriage to Vanessa. "When you get right down to it, marriage is just a piece of paper, a legal agreement between two people that gives each of them certain rights."

"This is one decision I have to make on my own, pal," Starsky reminded him with a thin smile. "You can't hold my hand and tell me what to do."

"I already told you, I'll stand by you no matter what you decide." Hutch smiled fondly and deftly changed the subject. "Eat your pizza before it gets cold. You don't have to make any decisions tonight."

Starsky picked up the last piece of pizza, but didn't eat it immediately. In a hesitant voice, he said, "You don't like Jessica very much, do you?"

"It's not that I don't like her," Hutch replied, choosing his words carefully. "It's just that I don't think she likes me that much. I think if she had her way, she'd keep you all to herself."

"That ain't gonna happen," Starsky told him firmly, smiling at his best friend warmly. "She wouldn't be the first girlfriend, yours or mine, that's tried to break us up, and none of them have succeeded yet."

"Yeah, but none of them were pregnant, either." Hutch said, immediately regretting his choice of words when he saw the hurt that crossed Starsky's face. Instantly, he began to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"Yes, you did," Starsky said with a heavy sigh. "And you're right…none of them have been pregnant before. But, I'm not going to let that change anything. No matter what Jessica thinks."

"A baby always changes things, partner. That's just a fact of life. Even if you don't marry Jessica, you're still going to be a part of that baby's life, and that's the way it should be."

"We're both going to be a part of this baby's life," Starsky said firmly. "You're gonna be Uncle Hutch."

Hutch laughed softly, the tension in the air broken. "Uncle Hutch, huh? Well, just don't expect me to change any dirty diapers. I'll leave that little chore to you."

"Gee, thanks. I thought this partnership was fifty-fifty."

"Not when it comes to changing diapers."

Both men broke into laughter at the image of either one of them changing a baby's diaper. Although both of them liked children, neither one of them had any experience to speak of with infants. Hutch was an only child and Starsky had only been five when his younger brother, Nicky, was born. All he could remember was feeling jealous because Nicky got all the attention. All he did was cry all the time and smelled funny a lot. Even with his large extended family back in New York, Starsky had never paid much attention to all the infants. They were no fun. He couldn't play with them like he could his older cousins.

By the time Hutch decided to go home, Starsky was feeling better, even though he knew that he still had some life altering decisions to make very soon. He had always planned on getting married someday. The closest he had come was with Terry but she had turned down his proposal because it was made after they learned that she was going to die.

Starsky had been taught, both by his parents and by his religious background, that marriage was a sacred event, blessed by god. It was not something to be entered into lightly. And, once you made that commitment, it was for life. Even after his father died, Starsky's mother had never dated another man or remarried. She still wore her wedding band and cherished her memories of Michael Starsky. That was the kind of marriage that Starsky had always envisioned for himself and that was not the sort of marriage that he saw himself having with Jessica.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 **"** We have to do something soon," Jessica said. "I'm almost two months along. I'll start showing soon, and people will start asking questions."

"Jessica, I already told you that I don't think getting married right now is the best thing to do." Starsky said "I promised to take care of you and the baby financially, and I will."

"You just don't want to have to marry me," Jessica said in a hurt voice, tears welling up in her eyes. "I should have known you'd be just like every other man when it comes to that."

"I don't think we need to get married because society says we should just because you're pregnant," Starsky countered. "It'd be different if…" he stopped himself before he said something he knew he would end up regretting.

"If this baby had been planned, right?" Jessica snapped, finishing the sentence for him. "Or if we were in love."

"I don't want to argue with you," Starsky said, already worn down from the constant bickering between them since a doctor had confirmed the pregnancy.

"But, it's true, isn't it?" Jessica demanded. "You don't love me."

"No, I don't," Starsky admitted reluctantly, "Not the way I should for us to get married."

"Then I might as well just leave right now and get out of your life!" Jessica declared in a bitter tone, "Then you won't have to worry about me or the baby!"

"I don't want you to leave!" Starsky said, struggling to hold his own temper in check. "That's my baby, too, and I have rights, even if we aren't married!"

"Don't talk to me about your rights!" Jessica said, tears running down her face. "You're a man. You can get away with just paying the bills and then looking the other way while I get stuck raising the kid." She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "I'm only going to tell you this one time, David Starsky, if you don't marry me…I'll make damn sure you never see me or this baby ever again!"

Her words hung heavily in the air as she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Starsky slumped down on the sofa and buried his face in his hands. Jessica had been insistent on marriage from the beginning, and it was becoming clear that she wasn't about to listen to reason. Starsky could either marry her or risk never seeing his child, never getting to share in raising that child, and allowing his child to grown up without a father. None of those things were viable options. He was slowly being backed into a corner, forced to give in to Jessica's demands.

Automatically, his hand reached for the phone to call Hutch. When he answered, Starsky blurted, "I'm going to marry Jessica."

"I'm on my way," Hutch said immediately. He could hear the pain in Starsky's voice and he knew that this was not a discussion that the two men could have over the phone. He knew that Starsky had been under an increasing amount of pressure from Jessica, who kept insisting on marriage. If she hadn't been pregnant, Starsky would have broken up with her long before now. Neither partner liked possessive, manipulative, or demanding women, and Jessica was quickly turning out to be all three.

While he waited for Hutch to arrive, Starsky reached for the phone again. There was one more phone call he had to make before he lost his nerve. The phone rang four times on the other end of the line before his mother's voice said,

"Hello?"

"Ma, It's me. David."

"Davey," his mother gushed, "What a nice surprise! It's not even Friday night. What's so important that you decided to call me in the middle of the week? You're not hurt again, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," Starsky said, swallowing hard to build up his courage. "I called to tell you that I'm getting married."

"Married? Oh, David, that's wonderful! What's her name?" His mother asked in an excited voice.

"Her name is Jessica, and we'll be getting married in a few days, as soon as we get the license and the blood tests."

"Why so soon? And why not back home in the Temple?" Rachel asked. She grew silent and then said softly, "David, are you in trouble? Do you have to get married?"

"Yeah, Ma, I do," Starsky admitted, feeling like a little boy who had done something bad and deserved to be punished. "She's pregnant."

"Oh, Davey…" Rachel whispered, the disappointment evident in her voice. "Weren't you being careful?"

"Of course we were, but something went wrong. It happens."

"That doesn't mean you have to marry her," Rachel said, mirroring Hutch's words. "Are you sure that it's your baby?"

"Yes, Ma…I'm sure it's mine. She wouldn't lie about something like that."

"You're a good man, Davey," Rachel said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. "So much like your father. And I expect you to call me as soon as my grandchild is born so I can fly out there to see him or her."

"I will, Ma. I promise," Starsky said with a sad little smile. He hung up, feeling both relieved and depressed after talking with his mother. He knew that she would always love him unconditionally, but he also knew that he had disappointed her by marrying outside the faith and not in an orthodox ceremony blessed in the temple. Despite the enlightened moral attitudes of the seventies, in the Jewish religion, it was still a grave sin to have unprotected sex outside of marriage.

Starsky shoved himself to his feet and went into the kitchen. Opening the kitchen cabinet, he took out a seldom used bottle of Jim Beam and screwed off the cap. He had just poured himself a healthy shot when the front door opened.

Hutch walked in and took in the scene with a practiced eye, commenting dryly, "You decide to start the party without me?"

Starsky waved his hand at the bottle sitting on the counter. "Be my guest. There's plenty to go around."

"You planning on getting drunk?"

"Yep. Right now that sounds like a pretty good idea," Starsky said with a hint of sarcasm. He drank down the whiskey, grimacing as the hard liquor burned its way down his throat to his stomach. "I called Ma and told her about the baby."

"How did she take it?"

"About as well as can be expected I guess," Starsky said glumly. She said she loved me and that I was a good man, just like Pop. But, she was disappointed, I could tell."

"That was a lot to lay on her all at once."

"Yeah, I got Gentile pregnant outside of marriage and we're getting married without the blessing of the Rabbi." Starsky mumbled, pouring himself a second drink, even stronger than the first.

"Go easy on that, pal…we have to work tomorrow," Hutch reminded him.

"Right now, I don't give a fuck."

Starsky grabbed the bottle of whiskey and went into the living room, slumping down on the sofa. Hutch sat down beside him. If Starsky was determined to get wasted than the least that Hutch could do was watch over him and make sure that he made it safely bed when he'd had enough.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Three days later, David Michael Starsky and Jessica Lynn Arnett were married in a civil ceremony at the downtown courthouse with Hutch as their only witness. There were no invited guests and no celebration planned afterwards. Jessica wore a simple gold band that Starsky had bought at a pawn shop. Starsky wore a matching gold ring. Jessica had insisted on it to signify the change in his marital status. What should have been one of the happiest days of his life had turned out to be one of the most depressing ones.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Starsky apprehensively unlocked the door to his apartment and went inside, already fairly certain of what he would find. He wasn't disappointed. The living room was in disarray, with the morning newspaper scattered on the floor, dirty glasses and dishes on the coffee table, and a new stain on the carpet that hadn't been there that morning. A quick glance through the open bedroom door revealed Jessica sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep.

Starsky sighed as he began to straighten up the mess. He and Jessica had only been married for a week, and he was already beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake. Jessica was acting like a completely different person. She refused to clean or cook, leaving Starsky to his own devices. The only difference in his usual routine was the fact that they shared the same bed at night. He was beginning to wonder about Jessica's ability to be any better mother than she was a wife. He was starting to suspect that she had trapped him into this marriage by deliberately getting pregnant, but he wasn't sure why. She didn't seem any happier than he was.

He had just put a pan of stew on the stove to heat up for supper when Jessica came out of the bedroom, stifling a yawn. She looked as sexy as hell in one of his old tee shirts, but Starsky was quickly losing interest in his new bride. She didn't even seem to want him touching her anymore now that they were married. The swell of her pregnant belly was becoming evident. Starsky was beginning to feel as if he were sharing his living space with an irresponsible roommate instead of the woman he had made his wife.

"I made some stew. Do you want some?" he asked politely.

"Naw," Jessica's Brooklyn was accent more noticeable when she first woke up. "Everything I eat comes right back up, so why bother?"

"You still need to eat. For the baby." Starsky scolded her gently.

"The baby…the baby," Jessica sneered. "That's all you care about anyway. You sure don't care about me."

"If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't have married you." Starsky tried to reason with her even though, down deep, he knew that her words had a ring of truth to them.

"You just married me because I threatened to leave and never let you see the baby if you didn't," Jessica reminded him.

"You got what you wanted," he said in a weary voice, too tired for another argument. "What more do you want from me?"

"Maybe a little respect. After all, I am your wife."

"That works both ways." Starsky mumbled under his breath. He dished up a bowl of the stew and sat down at the table to eat his meal alone. He glanced through a stack of mail lying on the table as he ate. He felt his temper flare when he found an overdraft notice from his bank. His checking account was overdrawn by almost a hundred dollars. "What's this all about?" he demanded, showing the bank statement to an uninterested Jessica.

"I needed some new clothes. Nothing I have fits anymore," she said without any remorse. "What's the big deal? You got enough money in your savings account to cover it. We wouldn't have this problem if you'd just let me use one of your credit cards."

"I gave you that check to buy groceries with!" Starsky reminded her angrily. "Not to go out and buy new clothes!"

"Well, this wouldn't have happened if you'd just put my name on the account. I am your wife, after all."

"And if I did that, you'd have us bankrupt before the baby even gets here." He sighed heavily. "I'll take care of this tomorrow and on my next day off we'll go to the bank and open a checking account in your name. I'll put a hundred dollars in it each payday and you'll have to make it last for whatever you need between checks."

"What about the baby? I need to start buying stuff for the baby," Jessica wheedled.

"If you need something for the baby, I'll put it on my credit card. Let me know, and we'll go to get it together."

"Yeah, because you don't trust me," Jessica snorted.

"For once, you're right. You already proved that you can't be trusted to budget money."

"What about the doctor? I need money for the doctor."

"I put you on my insurance. That will cover any of your visits to the doctor and the hospital bill."

"Fine," Jessica said, realizing that she had been beaten. For now. She narrowed her eyes as she glared at her handsome new husband. When she married Starsky, she had been convinced that she could wrap him around her little finger but had quickly discovered that David Starsky was no pushover. He could be generous and loving to a fault, but he could also be just as hardnosed and tough when he was pushed too far. Jessica knew that the only hold she had over him was the baby, and she would continue to use that to her advantage for as long as she could. She wouldn't let him use her and then toss her aside the way her last lover had.

Starsky finished his solitary meal and put the bowl into the sink to wash later with the rest of the dishes. He missed the relaxing evenings spent with Hutch after work, hanging out and drinking or just watching TV. But, since his marriage, any time off duty that he spent with Hutch was sure to start another fight. Hutch was right about one thing, Jessica seemed to want Starsky all to herself, even if she acted as if she could barely tolerate his company at times. The baby had changed everything.

Jessica went back into the bedroom and shut the door, leaving Starsky alone to watch TV. On an impulse, he grabbed his jacket and left the apartment. He needed to spend some time with Hutch. That was his only salvation these days. He stopped on his way to Hutch's apartment to buy a twelve pack of beer and some potato chips. Parking his car in front of Venice Place, he locked the doors and climbed the enclosed stairway to Hutch's second floor apartment. He turned the knob and opened the door, startled to find Hutch in a passionate embrace with a pretty blonde bombshell.

The couple broke apart and the girl scurried into the tiny alcove where Hutch had his bed. Hutch grinned at his equally embarrassed partner and said, "Did I ever tell you that you have lousy timing?"

"Sorry. I didn't know you had a date tonight," Starsky apologized, holding out the beer as a peace offering.

"I didn't," Hutch said, with a wicked grin. "It doesn't matter. I think your arrival pretty much put an end to any romance tonight." As if to emphasize his words, the pretty blonde reappeared and quickly let herself out of the apartment without a word.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your evening," Starsky said as he slumped down on the sofa.

"It's okay. She wasn't my type anyway. So, what are you doing here? Another fight with Jessica?" Hutch guessed from the expression on Starsky's face.

"She overdrew my checking account," Starsky said. "By a hundred dollars."

"Ouch…" Hutch said sympathetically. He knew that Starsky had to get by on the modest amount he had left over each payday after paying his usual bills and sending his mother money each month. There was little room for extravagances and definitely no room for Jessica's overspending. Hutch remembered too many similar situations with his ex-wife. Vanessa constantly maxed out their credit cards and ran up hundreds of dollars in debt, bills that Hutch had ended up repaying as part of their divorce settlement.

One of the reasons they had divorced was because of Vanessa's excessive lifestyle and her resentment when Hutch turned his back on the Hutchison family fortune to make it on his own. Without his family's money to fall back on, Hutch couldn't give her the lifestyle that she craved.

Starsky looked at his partner with a bitter smile. "Go ahead," he said, "Tell me I told you so. You were right. I should never have agreed to marry her just because she was pregnant."

"Hey, buddy…you just did what you felt was the right thing to do…at least for the baby," Hutch consoled him gently. "Nobody can blame you for that. I'm just sorry that Jessica is making your life so miserable. Is she even trying to make a go of things?"

"No. Most of the time she acts like she doesn't even want me around," Starsky admitted. "It's like I don't even know who she is anymore."

"Has she changed that much since you got married?"

"Oh, yeah. She's turned into a complete stranger lately." Starsky looked at his closest friend and confided his darkest secret. "Hutch, I think she got pregnant on purpose just so I'd marry her…but I'll be damned if I know why. She sure doesn't act like she wants to be married to me."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Stick it out until the baby comes and if things don't change, then I'm going to tell her that I want a divorce," Starsky declared, already feeling like a failure.

"What about the baby?"

"What about the baby? I'm still going to take care of the baby; nothing is going to change that. I'm going to tell her that I want joint custody."

"Do you think she'll go along with that?"

"She'd better if she knows what's good for her, or I'll fight her in court," the brunet said firmly. He sighed heavily. "Sometimes, I don't even think she wants the baby…not the way she acts most of the time."

"She doesn't want the baby. She doesn't want to be married to you. Then why in the hell did she get pregnant in the first place?"

"Maybe it was just an accident like she said," Starsky intoned in a flat voice.

"But, you don't believe that, do you?"

"No, I don't…not anymore."

"What do you really know about her, Starsk?" Hutch asked gently. "Except for the fact that she comes from New York and that she likes a lot of the same things you do?"

"Not much, I guess," Starsky admitted, "She said she was an only child, and that her parents died in a car wreck when she was 14. She spent the next four years in and out of foster homes until she turned 18. She graduated from high school…barely…and supported herself by doing whatever work she could find. Usually as a waitress, sometimes as a barmaid." He frowned as he tried to remember the scant details that Jessica had told him about her life before they met. "She moved to Bay City from New York four months ago after breaking up with an old boyfriend that used to beat her."

"And you just happened to run into her at Huggy's where she was working as a waitress," Hutch said, finishing Starsky thoughts. "Maybe we need to check into her story and see if it all checks out," He suggested, knowing that Starsky might not take that idea very well.

"Why would she want to lie about any of it?" Starsky demanded. Even though he was a tough, streetwise cop and a native New Yorker, the brunet could be so trusting and naïve at times that it baffled Hutch, who was a born cynic.

"Why does anybody lie about their past?" Hutch said. "To hide something. It's worth checking out."

"Do what you want," Starsky said in a weary tone. "But, I don't want any part of it."

"Why? Because you're afraid to find out the truth?" Hutch demanded, knowing full well that he was risking Starsky's volatile temper with his comment.

"Fuck you, Hutchinson. She's still my wife and it's still my baby she's carrying." Starsky rose to his feet, somewhat unsteadily, and made his way to the door.

As he left the apartment, Hutch looked at the closed door and muttered under his breath,

"For your sake, I hope you're right, partner. I hope it is your baby."

After leaving Hutch's apartment, Starsky sat in his car for several long minutes, lost in his own thoughts. The stress of his unhappy marriage, combined with the stress of his job, was beginning to wear on his nerves, and he had taken it out on the one person who wouldn't hate him for it. He felt guilty about snapping at Hutch like that, but he knew the big blond wouldn't take it personally. Sighing heavily, he started the engine and headed back home for another long, lonely night.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 **"** **You do the math," the uniformed officer sneered as he walked down the hallway with his companion, another uniformed officer from his squad. "He knocked her up, and they had to get married. Serves him right, as much fucking around as Starsky and Hutchinson do. It was bound to catch up with one of them eventually."**

 **Neither man noticed that Hutch had been walking behind them towards the detective's squad room at the end of the hall. The big blond's temper automatically flared at the insult to his absent partner.**

 **"** **You need to keep your opinions to yourself, Fisher," He said in a cold, warning tone that stopped the two men in front of him in their tracks. They both turned in tandem to face an irate blond with ice blue eyes. "Starsky's private life is just that, private. It's not a topic of discussion in the hallways."**

 **"** **Sorry, Hutch," Fisher said apologetically. "I didn't mean anything by it. Just talking, ya know?"**

 **"** **Well find something else to talk about," Hutch advised him as he brushed past the two uniformed officers and continued on his way down the hall.**

 **Once he was out of earshot, Fisher snorted and muttered under his breath, "Bastard. Thinks he's better than us. Starsky got what he deserved. Too bad it wasn't Hutchinson."**

 **"** **I'd still watch what I said around here," His companion warned "You don't want to cross Hutchinson or Starsky. They'll eat you alive."**

 **"** **I ain't scared of them. Couple of fag pussies."**

 **"** **I'd be scared of them if I were you. They got a lot of friends around here. More than you do." His co-worker walked away, leaving Fisher alone.**

 **Hutch was still irritated as he sat down at his desk and reached for the phone to do a background check on Jessica. The** office grapevine was buzzing with rumors about Starsky's sudden marriage to his pregnant girlfriend, and Fisher wasn't the only co-worker who felt that Starsky had gotten what he deserved because of his promiscuous single lifestyle. Only Hutch truly knew how much Starsky was suffering for his error in judgment when it came to Jessica.

 **Twenty minutes later, he hung up the phone with a heavy sigh.** The parts of Jessica's story that he had been able to verify seemed to check out. Her parents had been killed just as she had told Starsky, and she had spent four years in and out of foster homes. She had lived in New York for most of her life and had supported herself working primarily as a stripper in several sleazy New York clubs. Hutch suspected there was more to her past than what met the eye but was at a loss to find out any more information. She had never been arrested, not even been given a parking ticket. His New York contacts were severely limited at best. Even Huggy Bear, one of the detectives' prime sources of information, had only minimal contacts back east.

Shortly after noon, Starsky entered the squad room. Hutch greeted him with a warm smile. Starsky's personal appearance was starting to show signs of his failing marriage. His hair was longer than usual and there were permanent dark circles under his eyes. Even those sapphire orbs had lost their sparkle and mischievous gleam. His trademark crooked smile was rarely seen and, when it was, it was only a mere reflection of its former brilliance.

"Sorry, Jessica had a doctor's appointment this morning," Starsky said apologetically.

"Why? Is Jessica having any problems?" Hutch asked in a concerned voice. He may not care for the woman or the way she was treating Starsky, but he knew that Starsky already loved the little life that he had helped to create and was worried about the pregnancy.

"No, she just seems to be gaining a lot of weight." Starsky said offhandedly.

"Are things getting better with you two?" Hutch asked, lowering his voice so nobody else in the squad room overheard him.

Starsky shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Sometimes things seem to be okay, then the next day she's acting like she can't stand me again. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around her." A thin smile tugged at his lips. "The other night we actually had sex for the first time in almost a month."

Hutch frowned at the comment. The brunet had only been married for two months, and his marriage was already in serious trouble. Hutch couldn't help wondering if Starsky had enough stamina to last for five months until the baby came.

He watched with a heavy heart as his best friend sank down on his side of the table that served as their desk. His usual bounce and infamous strut was gone from his step. Hutch had a suspicion that this experience would turn Starsky against the idea of marriage, the same way that Hutch's marriage to Vanessa had done to him.

The afternoon passed slowly as the partners tried to catch up on their chronically overdue paperwork. They left the office at six and went their separate ways for the evening.

Starsky returned home to find Jessica watching a game show on TV. The aroma of something cooking in the kitchen filled the air. The brunet was instantly on guard. The only time Jessica cooked for him was when she wanted something, usually money. Jessica smiled brightly and awkwardly shoved herself to her feet when he came through the door. Starsky thought she was getting awfully heavy so early in her pregnancy but, she continued to tell him that there was nothing to worry about. She said the doctor had told her it was because of a lack of exercise. Not that Starsky would know. Jessica might let him drive her to her appointments with the doctor but she refused to let him come back during the exams.

"You're home! I made your favorite," Jessica gushed. "The Paul Muni special."

Starsky nodded and went into the bathroom to wash up. The Paul Muni special, as his mother called it, was simple pot roast with carrots, potatoes and a rich, thick broth seasoned with herbs and spices. Jessica was a fair enough cook, but nobody had ever come close to making the dish as well as his mother, except for Hutch. Jessica tended to overcook it, leaving the meat dry, and she never got the spices and herbs right.

When he came out of the bathroom, Jessica was setting the food on the table and lighting candles. Now he knew that she wanted something, and he didn't hesitate to say so. "Okay, Jess. What do you want?" He asked as he sat down in his usual place at the table.

"What makes you think I want something?" she asked, batting her eyes innocently.

"Can the act, sweetheart," he told her with a trace of sarcasm in his voice. "You never cook for me unless you want something. I told you there's no extra money this month, and I'm not touching the money in the savings account…what little there is left of it."

"Why do you always think that I want money?" Jessica pouted.

"That's because you usually do," Starsky reminded her. "Okay, if you don't want money, then what do you want?"

"I want to move back to New York," she said casually, as she sat down across from him and began to eat.

"Are you crazy? My life is here. My job is here. I can't just leave like that."

"Why not? You could be a cop back in New York just as easily as you can here…probably even easier if all those stories you told me about your father are true."

"Leave my father out of this," Starsky said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He could feel the start of a migraine coming on. He had been plagued with violent headaches ever since his return from Viet Nam. He took medication that usually kept them under control, but they had increased in both frequency and intensity since the beginning of his disastrous marriage. "We're not moving back to New York, and that's final. I'm not leaving Bay City."

"You mean you're not going to leave your precious partner, don't you?" Jessica snapped, knowing exactly which buttons to push to piss Starsky off. Hutch had been a constant source of irritation between them since the marriage. Jessica seemed to resent Hutch and the time he spent with Starsky.

"Hutch is not just my partner, he's my best friend. You knew that when we met." Starsky reminded her, holding onto his temper. "And, no, I will not break up a nine year partnership and an even longer friendship just because you got it into your head to go back to New York."

"I don't need your permission to go anywhere," Jessie said curtly. "I may be your wife but you don't own me. If I want to go back to New York, I can do that without your approval!"

"If you try to leave before the baby is born, I'll do everything in my power to stop you," Starsky threatened.

"Like what?" Jessica snorted. "Lock me up and throw away the key?"

"If that's what it takes. Besides, the doctor would never allow you travel that far in your condition."

"Since when do you care about my condition?" Jessica snapped, slamming down her water glass so hard that it shattered. She cursed as she grabbed her napkin and began to sponge up the mess.

"We're not moving back to New York!" Starsky repeated firmly, as he shoved back his chair and stood up abruptly, his appetite gone. "And that's final!" Turning on his heel, he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door to the one place he knew he could find some peace. Hutch's apartment.

Hutch didn't seem to be that surprised when Starsky showed up on his doorstep. The brunet was becoming a regular fixture at Hutch's apartment after one of his fights with Jessica. He grabbed the brunet a cold beer from the refrigerator and handed it to him without saying a word. He knew that Starsky would tell him what had happened when he was ready to and not beforehand.

Starsky drank his first beer and started on his second before finally saying, "Jessica wants to move back to New York. She implied that she'll go by herself if I don't go with her."

"You're not seriously considering leaving, are you?" Hutch asked in a stunned voice. This was the one thing he hadn't anticipated. The thought of Starsky leaving Bay City for good was something the big blond wasn't sure he could handle. They were too close, their lives too intertwined, to ever be happy working the streets with anyone else.

"Of course not," Starsky said with a snort. "I told her that my life was here. My career was here." He paused and then added fondly, "You're here."

"I bet that went over real well," Hutch said dryly, finishing his own beer and getting another one.

"That's when she threatened to go back to New York by herself. She said that I didn't own her just because we were married."

"What did you say to that?"

"I told her that if she tried to leave before the baby was born, I'd do everything in my power to stop her." He looked at his friend and said sadly, "Hutch, if she goes back to New York, she'll make sure that I never get to see the baby, to be part of its life, just for spite."

"Don't worry, buddy. It hasn't come to that yet. Maybe she's just trying to see how far she can push you."

"Yeah, well this is one thing she's not going to force me to do." Starsky said in a determined voice. "I'm not moving back to New York."

'You know, Vanessa was the one who wanted to move out here after we got married," Hutch said with a sad little smile. "She was positive she was going to hit the big time as a model."

"I guess I should thank her for that," Starsky said with a fond glance at his best friend. "Or we would never have met."

"Yeah…" Hutch agreed. "Anyway…things were already pretty rocky between us before that. It didn't take me long to figure out how different we were, after I stopped thinking with my dick and started using my brain."

"She sure didn't like me very much," Starsky snorted as he remembered the ex-Mrs. Hutchinson.

"She didn't like anybody that didn't have money and drive a fancy car." Hutch paused, lost for a moment in his own thoughts. "I knew it was over for a long time before she finally left but, I kept hanging on…hoping things would get better. I guess I just didn't want to admit that I was a failure."

"You weren't a failure," Starsky said firmly, "Vanessa was a bitch that didn't know how good she had it until she threw it away."

"Sounds a lot like you and Jessica," Hutch said with a thin little smile. "Looks like we both know how to pick 'em."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Things were just getting warmed up between Hutch and the leggy brunette stewardess when they were distracted by the ringing of the telephone.

"Let it ring, baby…" Sandy cooed, nuzzling the side of his neck suggestively as her hands fumbled with his belt.

"I have to answer it," Hutch reminded her. "It could be work." He reached out a long arm and grabbed the receiver.

Sandy sighed and leaned back against the sofa with a pout. She had a feeling her plans for the evening were about to be interrupted

"This better be important," Hutch growled into the phone.

"Hutch? It's Huggy," the familiar voice drawled in his ear. "You might want to come and get Curly. He's in no condition to drive, if you catch my drift."

"How long has he been there?" Hutch asked, concern for his wayward partner cooling his ardor.

"About three hours, and Anita said he's been drinking the hard stuff for the last two. I just got here myself or I would have called you sooner."

"Don't let him go anywhere. I'm on my way."

"Don't worry. I got his keys, he ain't going anywhere," Huggy told him with a chuckle. "He handed 'em over like a good boy as soon as he saw me."

Hutch smiled faintly as he hung up the phone. He was grateful for a friend like Huggy. Both men knew that the black bartender would watch out for them if they had too much to drink. That was one of the reasons they usually did their drinking at The Pits.

"I have to go." he apologized to Sandy, as he pushed himself to his feet, quickly buttoning the front of his shirt. He pulled some loose bills out of his pocket and handed them to her. "There's the money for a cab. Just make sure and lock the door when you leave."

"Gee, thanks," Sandy said sarcastically, her dissatisfaction with the evening obvious in the tone of her voice.

Ignoring her, Hutch grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, digging his keys out of his jeans as he headed out the door. He was relieved when his temperamental clunker started on the first try. Usually he had to coax the engine to get it to turn over, especially when it was cold.

Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling up in front of the Pits. As he climbed out of his car, he saw Starsky's car parked in the alley beside the bar. He also saw a couple leaning against the brick wall of the building, locked in a passionate embrace. The big blonde immediately recognized the headful of dark curls and the lean, muscular build of his partner. As he turned in that direction, he also recognized the woman who was rubbing up against him suggestively. Her name was Chrissy and she was one of the local hookers.

"Hey, buddy," Hutch said quietly, as he stepped up behind his friend and reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hey!" Chrissy protested the interruption. "Why don't you mind your own business? Unless you wanna pay extra for a threesome."

"Hey, Hutch!" Starsky said with a drunken grin, as he looked over his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"Huggy called me to give you a ride home."

"Don't wanna go home," Starsky declared with a pout. He turned his attention back to the woman he had backed up against the wall. He leaned down to nuzzle the side of her neck. "Wanna stay here and have some fun for a change…"

Hutch sighed and dug a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket. He slipped it down the front of Chrissy's blouse. "Split," he ordered "I got it from here."

Chrissy untangled herself from Starsky's amorous embrace and straightened her clothes. "Fucking fags…" she muttered under her breath as she turned and strolled away, "Couldn't get it up for a real woman even if they tried."

Ignoring the hooker's sarcastic remark, Hutch took Starsky's arm and guided him back into the bar. The brunet balked, still pouting at his partner. "Your timing sucks, Blondie…" he slurred as he stumbled, leaning heavily against Hutch until he recovered his balance "I was just about to get me some."

"What you were just about to get was relieved of whatever money you have left," Hutch told him dryly as he steered him into the main part of the bar. Huggy was busy tending bar, but when he saw the two detectives he nodded at one of his waitresses to take over. When she relieved him of his duties, he walked over to Hutch and said, "Man, am I glad to see you. He is wasted." He ran his gaze over Starsky who was leaning against Hutch with his eyes half closed. Hutch had his arm wrapped tightly around the brunet's waist to keep him on his feet.

"I found him out back with Chrissy," Hutch said. "I told her to split."

"Shit," Huggy said with a scowl. "I saw her in here and ran her out. I don't need the likes of her hanging around and bothering my customers." He looked at the big blond apologetically. "Curly must have slipped outside while I was busy."

"No harm done," Hutch said with a thin smile. "Thanks for calling me. I'm gonna take him back to my place so he can sleep it off."

"You gonna call his ball and chain and let her know where he is?" Huggy said with a snort.

"No, I doubt if she'd even give a fuck," Hutch said sourly. "She's probably the reason he's in this condition anyway."

"Man, that bitch really has him fucked up," Huggy said with a shake of his head.

"Tell me about it," Hutch said grimly. "Thanks again for calling. Keep an eye on his car. We'll pick it up tomorrow."

"You know I will," Huggy said with a grin. "I let anything happen to his 'baby' and he'll have my hide." The tall, thin black man watched as Hutch helped Starsky through the crowd and out the front door. Sighing heavily, he returned to his duties behind the bar.

Hutch managed to get Starsky into the front seat before the brunet passed out entirely. Closing the door gently, he crossed to the driver's side and slid in beneath the wheel. Starsky was slumped in the seat, his head resting against the glass on the passenger's side, snoring softly. Hutch put the key in the ignition and coaxed the engine to life. With a heavy sigh, he headed back towards his own apartment.

When he reached Venice Place, he managed to arouse the intoxicated brunet enough to get him out of the car and across the sidewalk to the entrance of the enclosed stairway that led to Hutch's upstairs apartment. Realizing that Starsky was too drunk to manage the steps on his own, Hutch lifted him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and started up the steps.

"Hey," Starsky complained in a slurred voice, one hand reaching down to clutch at Hutch's belt tightly. "Why's everything upside down?"

"Because you're upside down, mushbrain," Hutch said as he laboriously climbed the steps, grunting under Starsky's added weight. Reaching the landing, he managed to unlock his apartment door and get inside, before unceremoniously dumping Starsky on the sofa with a groan.

"Ohhhhh," Starsky said with a groan of his own, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. "Why's the room spinning so fast?"

"Because you're wasted, that's why." Hutch grumbled as he went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Behind him, he heard Starsky scramble to his feet, followed by the slamming of the bathroom door. Through the thin wooden panel he heard the unmistakable sound of retching. With a smirk on his lips, Hutch finished making the coffee, and then went to check on his inebriated friend.

He found Starsky sprawled on the floor with his back against the tub and his legs stretched out in front of him. The sour smell of vomit hung in the air. Hutch grabbed a washcloth and wet it with cold water. Kneeling beside his friend, he gently bathed the smaller man's face and neck with the wet cloth.

"How ya doing?" he asked quietly as he tended to his friend with loving care.

"Ohhh, Hu'sh…" Starsky moaned pitifully. "I don't feel so good…"

"I wonder why," Hutch snorted, as he tossed the washrag in the general direction of the hamper.

Gripping the brunet under the arms, he rose to his feet, pulling Starsky up with him. Starsky's face blanched and he swayed unsteadily as Hutch slipped one arm around his waist and helped him back into the living room. Easing him down onto the sofa, Hutch went into the kitchen to pour him a cup of hot, strong coffee. Opening one of the cabinets, he took out a bottle of aspirin and popped the top, shaking four of the white tablets out into the palm of his hand. Filling a glass with water, he carefully carried the water and the coffee back over to the sofa, sitting his burden down on the coffee table.

"Take these," he instructed Starsky, handing him the aspirins and the water. "Then you can have some coffee…if you think you can keep it down."

Starsky took the pills and put them in his mouth, taking a long swallow of the water to wash them down. He still looked a bit green, but better then he did before. Hutch sat down on the sofa beside him and handed him the cup of coffee. "Careful, it's hot," he warned him as Starsky gently wrapped his fingers around the cup.

Hutch eyed his friend with a practiced eye. "What happened this time?" he asked in a concerned voice. Starsky rarely drank anything stronger than beer, and when he did, there was usually a reason. Not that Jessica didn't give him a reason to drink.

"Same old shit," Starsky mumbled, as he took a cautious sip of the coffee. He made a face at the bitter taste and set the cup back down on the coffee table. "She's still on my case about moving back to New York. I just had to get out of there, ya know?"

"I'll get some blankets and pillows," Hutch said. "Why don't you lie down and sleep it off? We can talk more in the morning."

He pushed himself to his feet and went into his bedroom to get the extra bedding. By the time he returned, Starsky was already lying face down on the sofa, sleeping soundly. With a fond smile, Hutch eased a pillow under his head and covered him with the blanket. With a yawn of his own, he headed back to his own bed to get a few hours sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"Fuck!" Starsky growled, as he sorted through his wallet once more, frustrated, as his anger increased rapidly.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't find my credit card!" Starsky snapped, angrily shoving his wallet back into his jeans. "And my last twenty bucks is missing too."

"It's okay. I got it," Hutch said, taking an extra five dollar bill from his wallet to pay for Starsky's lunch.

"Jessica wanted the card last night, and I told her no. she must have taken it while I was asleep."

Distracted by the missing money and credit card, Starsky found it hard to keep his mind on work for the rest of the afternoon. Tied up in an arrest close to the end of the day, Starsky was later than usual getting home that evening. He found Jessica lounging on the sofa, the remains of a take out meal littering the kitchen table.

"So, you finally decided to come home," Jessica said when the brunet walked in the door.

"I called and told you I was going to be late," Starsky said, poking through the leftovers to see if there was anything left for him to eat. There wasn't, so he opened the refrigerator and took out a TV dinner to put into the oven.

Once again, the brunet found himself wondering how he had ever allowed his life to end up in such a mess. A careless mistake in the heat of passion, and now he would pay for that mistake for the rest of his life. The only thing he had left to focus on in his rapidly crumbling marriage was the baby.

Jessica's due date was still almost three months away but, Starsky had already made up his mind to tell her that he wanted a divorce as soon as the baby was born. He would continue to provide financial support for the child, but Jessica would be on her own, and he was going to demand that he have an active role in his child's life.

Without Jessica's knowledge, he had already talked to an attorney and preliminary papers were being drawn up. The lawyer would file them as soon as Starsky gave him the go ahead. Starsky had agreed to pay over half his bi-weekly pay for child support, more than he was required to, but in exchange, Jessica had to agree not to leave Bay City with the baby and to give Starsky his freedom without a long drawn out court battle.

Turning back to face his wife, Starsky said, "Did you take my credit card last night?"

"I told you I needed to pick up some things today," Jessica said almost defiantly.

Struggling to control his temper, Starsky advanced on his wife and held out his hand. "Give it to me," he demanded.

"You know, David, you're turning into a real prick," Jessica said as she reached between her breasts and pulled out the missing card. She held it out to him. "Go ahead. Take it. It's maxed out anyway."

"And you're turning into a regular bitch," Starsky said as he grabbed the card and stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans. "Why'd you even marry me? You sure don't love me."

"You don't love me either, darling…so I guess we're even. You knocked me up, and I wasn't about to let you get away with it."

"I told you I'd take care of you and the baby!"

"Yeah…and I'm the one who'd get stuck with raising the kid by myself. You could just go on with your life and never have to look back, but I'd have a constant reminder every single day." Jessica's words were harsh and bitter, her anger and animosity rising to the surface.

"And how is this any better?" Starsky demanded. "The way things are now we'll end up hating each other before the baby's even born."

"But, at least my baby will have your name! It won't be a little bastard that everybody will be talking about. They won't be looking at me like I'm some kind of whore."

"People are talking anyway, Jessica," Starsky reminded her glumly. "It's no secret that I married you because you were pregnant."

"So what? That's still better than the alternative!" Jessica hissed as she sprang to her feet and ran into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Starsky knew the door would be locked against him and he would be spending another long night sleeping on the couch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jessica still asleep and Starsky was running late for work when there was a knock at the front door. Starsky pulled on his shoulder holster and fastened the buckle before pulling open the front door. He was startled to find his younger brother, Nicholas, standing there with a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Surprise, big brother!" Nicky said, in a cocky voice, ignoring the irritated expression on Starsky's face. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"What are you doing here, Nicky?" Starsky asked in a surprised voice, stepping aside. Separated at a young age, the Starsky brothers had a strained relationship. They seldom saw each other. The last time had been over four years ago when Nicky had came to Bay City for a visit that had turned out to be an excuse to make a quick buck. Some harsh words had been exchanged between the two brothers when Starsky confronted him about the source of his income.

"Hey, is that any way to greet your little brother? I'm in town on business for a few days and just thought I'd stop by."

"What kind of business, Nicky?" Starsky asked in an annoyed voice as he finished dressing, pulling on a blue windbreaker over his shoulder harness and gun.

"The legitimate kind," Nicky told him with a smirk. "Don't worry. I learned my lesson the last time." He glanced at the pillow and blanket on the sofa. "Ma told me you had to get hitched because you got careless. She kick you out of the bedroom already?" Nicky chuckled, amused at his own little joke.

"Fuck you, Nicky," Starsky said with a hint of anger in his voice. "I'm late for work. I gotta go."

"How about you and your new bride meeting me for dinner tonight? My treat. The Pit Stop on Twenty-ninth street. Seven o'clock. Is that good for you?"

"I don't know," Starsky said. "We'll see…" He left it at that with no solid commitment as he ushered Nicky out onto the stoop and closed the door behind him. Nicky walked ahead of his older brother to a sleek silver corvette that was parked behind the Tornio.

"See you at seven. Don't forget." Nicky climbed into the corvette and gunned the engine as he backed out of the drive and peeled off down the street.

Starsky sighed as he unlocked the Torino and slid in behind the wheel. He wondered what the real reason was for his brother's impromptu visit. He probably wanted to borrow money, as usual. A grim smile tugged at the edges of Starsky's mouth. Nicky was going to be surprised when he found out that Starsky was broke and teetering on the verge of bankruptcy.

Hutch was waiting a bit impatiently when Starsky pulled up in front of his apartment. His foul mood was immediately apparent to Hutch.

What's wrong now?" Hutch asked as he climbed into the car. "Not another round with Jessica about moving back to New York?"

"No," Starsky said with a heavy sigh, the rear tires squealing in protest as he pulled away from the curb. "Nicky's in town."

"Terrific," Hutch snorted. "What's he after this time? Money?"

"Probably. I didn't have time to find out."

"You're just not having any luck at all lately, are you?" Hutch asked with a thin smile.

Starsky grunted, taking a corner a bit too sharply and throwing Hutch sideways against the door.

"Hey, watch out," Hutch complained, rubbing his injured shoulder in protest.

"Sorry." Starsky said, slowing down to a more reasonable speed for the rest of the drive to headquarters. He smiled at his partner apologetically. "It's just that I've got enough to deal with right now. I'm not up for a visit from Nicky."

"Hopefully, he won't be here long. He'll try to put the bite on you for money, and when you tell him you don't have it, he'll split."

"I hope you're right because I'm spread thin enough as it is. Any tighter and I'm gonna snap like a rubber band."

The brunet pulled into his favorite parking spot right in front of police headquarters. Although there was a private parking lot for police vehicles behind the building, Starsky seldom used it unless he had to. There was a dejected slump to his shoulders as the two men limbed the steps to the front entrance.

Shortly after two that afternoon, Starsky answered a phone call to find Jessica on the line. Since she never called him at work, his first concern was that something was wrong with the baby.

"Are you okay? Is anything wrong with the baby?"

"Of course I'm okay," Jessica said dryly. "Thank you for asking. I just got off the phone with your brother. He told me about inviting us to dinner with him tonight. I told him we'd be happy to."

"You shouldn't have done that without checking with me first," Starsky told her gruffly.

"Why? So you could say no? We never do anything together anymore. I'm going, and I'll expect you to be there, too. God knows it's about time I met some of your family. Seven o'clock, and don't be late."

There was a soft click as she hung up before Starsky could object.

"Damn it," he hissed as he slammed down his own receiver with more force than he needed to.

"What now?" Hutch asked in a worried voice. "There isn't anything wrong with the baby is there?"

"No. Nicky called Jessica and told her about inviting us to dinner tonight. She accepted for both of us."

Hutch smiled sympathetically. "Sorry, pal. Try to keep from killing either one of them. I don't want to have to bail you out of jail. It wouldn't look very good on your record."

"You're a regular comedian today, Blondie," Starsky grumbled. "Keep it up, and I'll make you come with me."

"No, thanks. Nicky and Jessica at the same time is something I can do without."

"Me too," Starsky growled. "But, I don't have a choice. They both think they're entitled to a piece of me."

"Well, I'm sure they'll both be on their best behavior. Maybe they'll be so busy trying to impress each other that they'll forget you're even there."

Starsky grunted as he turned his attention back to the report he had been working on before being interrupted by Jessica's call. He had a feeling it was going to be a long day and an even longer night.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"It's about time I got to know at least someone else in your family." Jessica looked at Nicky and batted her long, thick eyelashes. "I still haven't met your mother. David won't even let me talk to her on the phone when he calls her on Fridays."

"She wouldn't like you, anyway." Nicky sneered "You're not good enough for her precious Davey. You're a Gentile, and you tricked him into marrying you by getting pregnant. That's two strikes against you as far as Ma is concerned."

"Shut up about Ma, Nicky," Starsky warned him sharply. "At least I try to help her out each month, that's a hell of lot more then you do!"

"How the fuck would you know?" Nicky demanded, raising his voice. "You're not there listening to her whine all the time about not having enough money. I am!" His eyes narrowed. "Do you know what she did with the last check you sent? She loaned most of it to old man Marky who lives down the street. I'm the one who had to pay the electric bill so they wouldn't shut off the lights."

Starsky felt his infamous temper rise, but he held his tongue. The animosity between the two brothers went deep with Nicky believing that Starsky had always been their mother's favorite, while Starsky still bore old resentments towards his mother for sending him three thousand miles away from home while she kept Nicky with her. Every time the two brothers got together, Nicky seemed to take pleasure in deliberately baiting his older brother.

"You didn't pay the electric bill," Starsky said in a deceptively calm voice. "I did. I sent Ma an extra check last month to cover it.'

"That's right," Jessica sneered. "He can send his mom extra money, but he can't give me enough money to buy a new dress."

"You have enough clothes," Starsky said with a sigh. Their food hadn't arrived yet, and they were already bickering. Nicky just sat there with a smirk on his face as he watched the exchange between the two.

"How long are you going to be in town, Nick?" Jessica asked as she turned her attention from one brother to the other. She smiled sweetly as she turned on the charm.

"A few days, maybe a week or two," Nicky said. "Depends on how things go with this business deal I'm working on."

"Where are you staying?"

"At a motel over on Lincoln."

"Why don't you stay with us?" Jessica suggested. "There's no need to waste money on a motel."

"Jess, we don't have the room," Starsky reminded her; annoyed that she extended the invitation without consulting him first.

"I'm sure Nick wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch," Jessica said. "You seem to think it's comfortable enough."

"Hey, I'm fine," Nicky said cheerfully "I kinda like my privacy, if you get my drift."

"Well, if you change your mind, the door is always open," Jessica said, glancing at Starsky as she spoke. "Even if your brother does seem to have forgotten his manners. He should have invited you to stay with us in the first place."

The conversation was cut short by the timely arrival of their food. For several minutes they ate in silence.

"So, Nick," she said. "Is there anyone special back in New York?"

"No, I kinda like to play it loose. No strings and no commitments, ya know?"

"Must run in the family…David doesn't do very well with commitments either." She glanced at her husband with obvious contempt. "Do you dear? If it weren't for this kid, he probably would have walked out on me a long time ago."

"Naw, not Davey," Nick said sarcastically. "He's too straight-arrow for that. Always plays by the rules…does the right thing."

"Alright," Starsky said, his patience worn thin. " 's time to go."

"I don't wanna leave yet," She whined. "I'm having a good time for a change."

"I said it's time to go," Starsky said sharply as he rose to his feet. He reached out and took her wrist, pulling Jessica to her feet. 

She glared at him as she twisted free.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed. "If you can't touch me in bed, then you have no right to put your hands on me anywhere else! Or is that how you prove you're a man? Grab me by the arm and treat me like your possession?" She looked at Nicky. "I won't even begin to apologize for his behavior." Her eyes shot daggers at her husband. "I just wish everyone who thinks he's some kinda saint could see him now."

"No problem," Nicky answered with an irritating smile. "I'm used to Davey's little tantrums."

"Just remember what I said," Jessica told him. "The door is always open. Stop by anytime." She brushed past Starsky and strolled through the crowd to the exit. Starsky followed, his mood darkening by the minute. The dual assault by Nicky and Jessica had grated on his nerves and pushed the volatile brunet closer to the edge.

Neither Starsky nor Jessica spoke on the drive home. When Starsky turned off the ignition, Jessica shoved open her door and climbed out of the car. By the time Starsky followed her inside, she was already in the bedroom with the door firmly closed. He sighed as he headed for the bathroom to take a shower.

He stripped and stepped into the tub. Turning on the faucet, he yelped when he was hit by a blast of icy cold water. No amount of adjusting changed the temperature of the water. Turning off the faucet, he wrapped a towel around his waist and went into the kitchen where he turned on the burners on the stove. Nothing. Just as he suspected, the gas was shut off.

"Fucking great," he muttered as he turned back to the bathroom. Now he would have to go by the gas company tomorrow and spend money he didn't have to get the gas back on. He knew he had written a check for the bill this month but Jessica obviously hadn't paid it. They were getting dangerously behind on everything and shut off notices were becoming the norm.

He pulled back on the clothes he had just discarded and left the apartment. It was still early. Hutch would still be awake. He doubted if Jessica would even notice that he was gone, and even if she did, he doubted if she would even care. They were quickly becoming two strangers with the same last name sharing the same living space.

Hutch didn't seem surprised to see him. Starsky knew that he probably wasn't. This was the only place where he felt at peace anymore, and it was more his home now then his own apartment.

"I take it things did not go well tonight," Hutch commented dryly.

"You could say that." Starsky grumbled. "If it wasn't Jessica pointing out my shortcomings, it was Nick. It was like they were trying to see who could get in the biggest dig first." Starsky sighed wearily. "Then when we got home, there was no hot water because Jess must not have paid the gas bill."

"I don't know what to tell you, buddy. You know you're always welcome here shower's free, and the water's hot if you want to take one."

"Maybe later. Right now I just need to relax for a bit and forget about Nicky and Jessie and this whole mess that's my life."

"Well, if it's any consolation, the baby will be here in a couple of months and things can start to get back to normal," Hutch said quietly

"Normal," Starsky snorted "I don't even know what that is anymore."

Hutch went into the kitchen and returned with two cold beers. Starsky gratefully accepted one. He didn't feel the need to get wasted. That didn't make things any better. He just needed to relax and enjoy Hutch's company.

The two spent the rest of the evening watching TV. There was no need for conversation. They were comfortable enough with each other's company that they didn't need to talk. Shortly after eleven, Starsky took a shower and both men turned in for the night.

The next morning, Starsky stopped by the gas company on his way to work to take care of business. He arranged to have future payments taken directly out of his bank account so a similar situation didn't happen again.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

The day passed slowly, and after work Starsky reluctantly headed for home. The sound of laughter echoed through the house as he opened the door and let himself inside. Jessica and Nicky were standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as they shared a cup of coffee. They both turned to look at Starsky as if he were an intruder in his own home.

"Hey, bro…" Nicky said smoothly. "Your pretty wife here has been telling me how you didn't want to marry her when you found out that you'd knocked her up. Is that true, Davey boy?"

"If she says so," Starsky said, brushing past Nicky to help himself to a cup of coffee. It was the special blend that Jessica insisted on buying, which Starsky didn't care for. He took two sips and then dumped the cup in the sink.

"David, you know how expensive that is, you shouldn't waste it," Jessica scolded him.

"Damn right I know how expensive it is!" Starsky snapped back in irritation. "It's my money that pays for it!" Although he had managed to curb her excessive spending, it was an on going battle to keep her from cleaning out his bank account entirely with her extravagant taste for gourmet coffee and rich foods.

"Don't mind him," Jessica told Nicky with a snicker. "He always comes home in a cranky mood. He'd rather spent time with that partner of his than he would with his wife."

"At least with Hutch I know where I stand," Starsky growled, his patience worn thin by Jessica's insults.

"Sure ya do," Nicky couldn't resist adding an insult of his own, "Wherever Blondie wants you to stand…doing just what he tells ya to do."

"Shut up, Nicky!" Starsky snapped at his younger brother. "This doesn't concern you."

Both of them knew just how to push his buttons, and he was not in the mood to be ganged-up on in his own home. Frustrated, he turned and headed for the door.

"That's right…" Jessica called after him in a taunting voice. "Run to Hutch just like you always do! You might as well be married to him! You spend more time with him than you do at home!"

Tires squealed as Starsky backed into the street and sped away from his own home. He considered going to Hutch, but felt that he was taking advantage of their friendship by turning to him whenever he had a crisis in his life. Making a decision, he turned left and headed for the only other man he trusted enough to share his problems with.

Twenty minutes later he pulled up behind The Pits. He parked in the sport reserved for 'deliveries' Huggy Bear had put up the sign so that the two detectives would always have a discreet place to park when they wanted to lay low and not advertise their presence in the bar.

Locking the doors to the Torino, Starsky pocketed the keys and entered the bar through the back door which opened into the kitchen area. Huggy's cook and his two assistants ignored the burnet as he walked through the room to the swinging doors that opened into the bar area.

The bar was crowded with two fisted drinkers, businessmen stopping by for a drink on their way home, college kids out slumming, and a few couples out on a date. Huggy was tending the bar while two of his waitresses worked the floor.

Starsky slid onto an empty stool at the end of the bar and waited for Huggy to notice him.

Like any good bartender, he noticed Starsky's presence almost immediately. He poured a cold draft beer and carried to the end of the bar, setting the mug in front of Starsky with a flourish.

"You drinking? Eating? Or just socializing?"

"I guess a little bit of all three," Starsky told him with a thin smile. "How about fixing me a special?"

"You got it." Huggy turned to the window between the bar and the kitchen to give Starsky's order to the cook. Then he turned his attention back to his friend. "So, what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Figured it was time to start laying my troubles on somebody else instead of running to Hutch all the time."

"I sincerely doubt that Blondie minds," Huggy told him with a smile. "But, hey, lay it on me. I'm all ears."

"I don't know what to do, Hug. It's bad enough dealing with Jessica all the time, but now Nicky's in town too."

"And I bet he's hitting it off just fine with the little lady."

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I'm a bartender. That makes me an excellent judge of character. Little brother and your ball and chain are just alike. Two of a kind. Stands to reason they'd get along like gangbusters."

"Yeah, the two of them make a better couple then Jessica and I ever did." Starsky sighed heavily. "Right now they're back at my apartment 'getting to know each other'."

"You got what…three more months before that baby's due?"

"Something like that. August 24th to be exact."

"So, what then?"

"Then it's over. I'm getting a divorce and going after joint custody."

"You think Jessica's gonna go along with that?"

"She better, if she knows what good for her."

"The courts usually side with the mother…even bad mothers." Huggy felt the need to remind his friend of a fact of life on the streets.

"I don't want to take the baby away from her entirely, not unless I have to. She's still the mother. Maybe she'll feel different when she has the baby."

"About you or about the baby?"

"Both. Right now she doesn't seem to give a damn about either one of us."

"Take it from me, my friend, there is no way to ever know what is going on in a woman's mind. One minute they're all sweet and loving, and the next thing ya know they're a hell cat on wheels." Huggy grabbed a bar rag and swiped at the bar absently. "Ya know when Jessica worked here, she got hit on right and left, but she never paid any of the guys hanging around her no never mind. Not till she laid eyes on you. Then it was like nothing was going stand in her way of getting to know you."

"Yeah, she came on pretty strong," Starsky said with a smile as he remembered his first few dates with Jessica. Even in the enlightened seventies, some people would still have called her an easy lay. And she was far from inhibited when it came to sex.

"Yeah, once the two of you hooked up, you got tight pretty quick."

"It was like she knew me already. She liked the same things I did, the same movies, the same food…she even liked the Torino." His eyes darkened "And she liked Hutch in the beginning, or at least she pretended too. Now she acts like she hates him too."

"I'm sure there's some resentment there on her part, since she knows that's where you usually go when you need somebody to talk to."

"She was on the pill," Starsky said lost in his own thoughts. "That's what I don't get. Sometimes I think she got pregnant on purpose just so she could force me to marry her."

Huggy turned to the window to retrieve Starsky's food. He sat the plate in front of Starsky. The aroma of the chili and the hamburger reminded Starsky just how hungry he was. He began to eat as Huggy picked up his empty mug and carried it to the opposite end of the bar to refill it.

The door opened and a party of six came in demanding Huggy's immediate attention.

Starsky spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and enjoying good company. He played a few games of pool with one of the regulars and danced with a couple of girls he knew from the neighborhood. He called Hutch and told him where he was but declined Hutch's offer to join him.

Around midnight, Huggy joined him for a beer and said, "You're welcome to crash upstairs for the night if you want to."

Huggy had two furnished rooms upstairs that he kept for friends who needed a place to stay for a few days or just to crash when they'd had too much to drink to drive home. He also rented them out at a reasonable rate to his employees who needed a place to live until they could find something more permanent

"Thanks, Hug," Starsky said with a grateful smile. "I think I'll do that. I am kinda bushed. It's been a long day."

"Don't I know it," Huggy agreed. "Door's unlocked, and you know where everything is."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"Hey, come on, bro…" Nicky said with slight smile "Ease up a little. Jessie wanted to do a little shopping. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is we can't afford any more of her little shopping sprees!" Starsky snapped, losing patience with both of them. It had been a long day and coming home to find out that Jessica had opened a new charge account at one of the most expensive stories in Bay City had just added fuel to an already smoldering flame.

"You're no fun at all anymore," Jessica said with a snort. "Your own brother treats me better than you do!" Her eyes flashed with anger as she glared at her husband. "He at least pays attention to me. More than I can say about you!"

Starsky's volatile temper flared. In his opinion, Nicky had been spending far too much time hanging around. "Fine! If Nicky's so great, then maybe you should be with him instead of me!"

"Maybe I should be!" Jessica shot back. "He's more of a man than you'll ever be!"

"Then you can both get the fuck out!" Starsky yelled, snapping as he finally reached his breaking point. "You deserve each other!" He stomped across the floor to the front door "I want you both gone when I get back!" With those parting words, he stormed out of the house and headed for the safe haven of Hutch's apartment.

When Starsky stormed into the big blond's apartment his face was still dark with rage, Hutch wisely decided to keep silent and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of scotch out of the cabinet, he poured the angry man a healthy shot.

Starsky accepted the drink and swallowed it in one gulp. Handing the glass back to Hutch for a refill, he said, "I told them both to get out…that I wanted them gone when I got back."

Hutch arched one eyebrow at his friend and said, "Do you really think they're going to leave just like that?"

"I don't give a fuck anymore what they do," Starsky said in a defeated voice. "I can't do it any more, Hutch. I just want my life back."

"What about the baby?"

"I'll still fight Jessica for the right to see the baby," Starsky declared firmly. "I'm not going to just let her take off and never let me see my kid."

"I'm sorry, buddy. I know you gave it your best shot. You bent over backwards to make it work."

"God, Hutch…she said Nicky was a better man than me…that at least he paid attention to her." Starsky leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes.

"You know that's not true," Hutch said, trying to sooth the brunet's wounded pride and self-esteem. "Nick probably just turned on the old Starsky charm. And Jessica fell for it. She just wanted to push your buttons as usual…they both did." Although Hutch felt empathy for his suffering friend, he was at a loss on how to make things better. He knew that the farce of the brunet's marriage to Jessica needed to end, but all he could do was be there to help Starsky pick up the pieces.

Starsky continued to drink throughout the evening, eventually switching from the hard liquor to beer. By midnight, he was passed out on the sofa, and Hutch gently covered him with a blanket before going to bed himself. Starsky was still sleeping soundly when Hutch arose early the next morning for his customary five mile jog. When he returned, he took a quick shower and started to make breakfast. The smell of bacon frying in the skillet soon aroused a groggy Starsky from his drunken slumber.

With a disgruntled grunt, Starsky stumbled into the bathroom and Hutch heard the sound of vomiting as Starsky emptied the meager contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. Hutch immediately turned down the heat under the bacon and went into the bathroom to aid his hung-over friend.

A pitiful-looking Starsky was crouched in front of the stool, his head hanging down into the bowl as he heaved. Hutch grabbed a washcloth and wet it under the cold water, kneeling down beside his friend to gently wipe his brow.

Finally, Starsky stopped retching and leaned heavily against his friend, resting his head on a broad shoulder. Rubbing his back gently, Hutch said, "I'll call Dobey and tell him that we won't be in today."

"Thanks," Starsky mumbled, "I feel like shit."

"No offense," Hutch said with a chuckle. "But you don't look so hot either. I don't suppose you want anything to eat?"

Starsky's face blanched and he shook his head violently. The thought of food made him feel nauseated all over again. He lunged forward and began to heave again, even though there was nothing left in his stomach to bring up. Hutch wrapped his arms around his friend's shaking body and held on tightly until he was finished. Helping the trembling brunet to his feet, Hutch guided him into his bedroom and lowered him onto the bed.

"Go back to sleep," Hutch instructed him. "I'll make you some broth when you wake up."

Starsky's eyes drifted shut, already falling back to sleep.

Hutch walked back into the living room and picked up the phone. He stabbed out Starsky's phone number. When Jessica's sleepy voice answered, he said shortly, "Starsky is here with me and he's staying here until you and Nicky are gone."

"Why should we leave? This is my house to," Jessica said. "I have every right to tell Nick he can stay if I want to."

"That's Starsky's apartment. He never had you added to the lease," Hutch hissed. "He wants you both out, and I'd advise you to do what he wants."

"And if we don't?"

"Then I won't be responsible for what happens to either one of you." Hutch declared.

"Are you threatening me?" Jessica asked with a snort of laughter.

"I don't have to. I'm a cop, remember? I can get you both out of there, and you won't like the way I do it."

"Fuck you, Hutchinson!" Jessica's voice yelled in his ear. "I'm not scared of you!"

"You'd better be," Hutch warned her. "Because I'm not going to let you go on hurting Starsky like this. If you know what's good for you, you'll both be out of there by this evening."

Hutch hung up the phone before Jessica could come back with another sarcastic remark. He had the feeling that Jessica and Nick would do as he suggested. Neither one of them wanted to mess with the big blond when he went into full blown protective mode of his partner.

Starsky slept until early afternoon, finally stumbling out of bed and going into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. He rummaged though the dresser until he found the extra clothes he kept at Hutch's apartment for times like this. When he emerged from the bedroom dressed in clean clothes, he looked almost human again. For the first time in months, Hutch saw a hint of the old Starsky in his eyes.

"Want some broth and crackers?" Hutch asked.

Starsky shook his head, "No, but I could use a cup of coffee. Black." Starsky asking for his coffee black, instead of loaded down with cream and sugar the way he preferred, was a dead giveaway that Starsky was still suffering from the residual effects of his drinking binge.

"Still feeling pretty rough, huh?" Hutch asked as he poured the coffee.

"You have no idea," Starsky said, accepting the cup with a grateful smile. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but don't let me do that again anytime soon."

"Hey, after everything you've been through in the past few months, you're entitled to get plastered now and then," Hutch teased the brunet fondly.

"I just hope Jessie and Nick are gone when I go home." Starsky said with a frown. "I really don't feel like dealing with either one of them today."

"Then why not stay here again tonight? Give them time to clear out." Hutch suggested. "Then we can swing by your place on the way to work in the morning to see if they're gone or not."

"Okay." Starsky didn't need much persuasion to agree to Hutch's plan. He needed some more time to recover from his bender, and this way, he could do that in peace without any further arguments with his brother and soon to be ex-wife.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Starsky looked around his trashed apartment in shock and dismay. Nicky and Jessica were gone as he had demanded, but they had vented their anger before leaving. His clothes had been pulled out of the closet and the dresser; several of his favorite shirts lay on the floor, torn to shreds.

Someone had taken a knife to his waterbed mattress, slicing deep gashes in the plastic and soaking the bedroom carpet with the water. Pictures had been torn off the wall, the glass in the frames broken, and several photographs, especially the ones of him and Hutch, torn into pieces.

The rest of the place was just as much of a mess. The couch had been overturned, and deep gouges cut into the coffee table and end tables with a knife. All the food had been removed from the refrigerator and left out on the counter to spoil. Dishes and glasses had been shattered on the kitchen floor. A rag had been stuffed into the kitchen sink and then the water had been turned on, leaving the sink to overflow onto the kitchen floor. Several of Starsky's model ships had been broken and scattered around the living room. Someone, Starsky assumed it had probably been Jessica, had taken red lipstick and scrawled on the living room wall ' _Fuck you'._

Starsky turned to look at Hutch and sighed heavily. His renter's insurance would cover most of the damage, as long as he filed a police report, but it wouldn't replace the personal possessions and pictures that had been maliciously destroyed in the rampage.

"Well, it looks like they're gone," Starsky said dryly with a thin, bitter smile.

"Personally, pal…I think you got off lucky," Hutch said, clasping his friend's shoulder gently. "I'll call Dobey to tell him we won't be in today after all, and then help you clean up this mess."

For the next four hours, the partners worked side by side restoring some order to the apartment. Starsky would have to repaint the walls, replace his coffee table, end tables and most of his dishes. But the bedroom had suffered the worst of the damage. The carpet and his bed would both have to be replaced, along with most of his shirts

As they cleaned, Starsky discovered several items missing. Some jewelry that had belonged to his deceased grandmother, a collection of silver dollars, and a silver chain with a star and moon charm that Hutch had given him years ago. Starsky suspected that Nicky was the culprit in the thefts. He knew how much the jewelry was worth as well as the sentimental meaning of the silver chain.

After they had established some order to the apartment, Starsky grabbed them each a beer and then called his attorney. He instructed him to file the divorce petition against Jessica. He would provide him with an address for her as soon as he had one.

Three days later, Starsky received legal papers of his own, served to him at headquarters. As he skimmed over the legal documents, his face turned ashen and he looked at Hutch with a stricken look in his eyes. "Jessica is suing for sole custody of the baby." Starsky said in a choked voice. "Hutch…she claims I'm not the father." Starsky's eyes darkened with rage, turning a deep violet, as he crumpled the papers in his fist. "I'll kill the bitch if she's been lying to me all this time!"

"Calm down, buddy," Hutch said quietly, rising to his feet to calm the agitated brunet. "Tell your lawyer that you want blood tests to establish paternity as soon as the baby is born. That's the only way you'll know for sure."

"How could she do that, Hutch?" Starsky demanded, looking at his partner, his eyes filled with anguish and pain. "How could she lie to me about something like that? Did she think that I was that big a sucker? That I'd never find out?"

"I don't know, pal. Maybe you should talk to her doctor? Find out what else she might have lied about."

"Will you come with me?" Starsky asked hopefully. "Right now, I'm so pissed off I'm liable to go off on him if he tells me that baby isn't mine."

"Of course I will. Let's go."

The two men left the squad room and drove to the downtown medical center where Jessica's pediatrician had his office. The elderly man ushered the two men into his inner office and smiled warmly, "I'm glad to finally meet you, Mr. Starsky," he said cordially. "I encouraged your wife to bring you with her to her appointments but she always said you were too busy."

"It's Detective Starsky," Starsky corrected him. "And Jessica would never let me come with her to any of his appointments." For some reason he felt compelled to correct Jessica's lie about him being too busy to come to any of her appointments. "I need to know if there's anything you can tell me about Jessica's pregnancy."

"I'm sorry, Detective Starsky, but I'm not sure that I should tell you anything unless you can prove you are who you say you are."

Sighing, Starsky pulled his badge and identification out of his pocket and showed it to the doctor, who examined it closely. Apparently satisfied with Starsky's identification and his right to know confidential information about his patient, he handed the ID back to Starsky.

"What would you like to know? There was nothing usual about the pregnancy and the baby should be born right on schedule."

"In August, right?" Hutch asked.

"August? No, the baby is due in the next two weeks. July 5th to be exact," The doctor said with a puzzled frown.

Starsky's face turned pale at the doctor's words. Jessica had lied about when the baby was due, which explained why she had gained so much weight so quickly. It also meant that she had been at least six weeks pregnant when she told Starsky that her period was late and led him to believe that the baby was his. He had only been dating her for a little over a month when she told him that she thought she was pregnant. There was no way that the baby could be his as she had led him to believe.

"You're sure about the date?" Hutch asked, "There couldn't be some mistake?"

"Well, the last time I saw her, I did tell her that the baby could come anytime within the next two weeks, which would make it a bit early based on the date she gave me for her last menstrual cycle," the doctor said, "But, women are often mistaken on the dates of their last period when they think they are pregnant. I did tell her that she should have contacted a doctor sooner so that prenatal care could have been started. She had to have suspected that she was pregnant for at least a month since she was already almost three months along when I first examined her."

"Thank you, doctor. You've been very helpful," Starsky said in a tightly controlled voice. He had found out what he needed to know.

As they exited the building, Starsky growled, "She lied to me. She knew the baby wasn't mine all along! She used me and tricked me into marrying her!"

"The big question is why." Hutch said thoughtfully. "Why you? Why come up with such an elaborate scheme to make you think you were the baby's father?"

"I don't know, but I sure as hell intend to find out," Starsky vowed in a fiercely determined voice. "Jessica is going to tell me the truth once and for all."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's holed up in some motel on the west side with Nicky," Starsky said in a cold, calm voice that Hutch knew meant trouble if Starsky didn't get the answers he wanted. "I had Minnie do some checking around for me. The room is registered to Nicky. He didn't even have enough sense to use a different name."

"Want some company? You shouldn't talk to them without some backup."

"You can come along if you want." Starsky said as he twisted the key and turned on the ignition, the tires squealing in protest as he pulled away from the curb. "But, it's my show!"


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Nicky didn't seemed surprised when he opened the door of the motel room to find Starsky and Hutch standing on the doorstep. Smiling at his older brother, he said, with a cocky tilt of his chin, "I take it that you got the papers from Jessie's lawyer."

"Where is she?" Starsky demanded in a cold, unforgiving voice. "She owes me an explanation."

"She doesn't owe you anything," Nicky said. "I figured you'd be glad to be off the hook. Now you're not stuck with a brat that isn't even yours."

"Where's Jessica?" Starsky repeated, brushing past his younger brother and stepping into the room. As Hutch followed, he noticed that Nicky kept a careful distance between himself and his enraged older brother.

Jessica came out of the bathroom, an unconcerned expression on her face, to confront her estranged husband. "You don't have to yell, David. I'm right here." She said calmly.

"Why did you lie to me?" Starsky demanded, his eyes flashing with a cold, barely controlled rage. "Why did you tell me the baby was mine if it wasn't?"

"Because you were there and I needed someone to take responsibility for me and the baby," Jessica replied as if her explanation made perfect sense. "Besides, you didn't seem to mind when you thought that you were the father. You were ready to take financial responsibility and support the baby."

"If all you wanted was for somebody to support the baby, then why the hell did you pressure me into marrying you?" Starsky growled.

"Because, my love, marriage entitled me to certain rights…like being covered on your insurance and to make a claim against half of your assets if we got divorced since California is a community property state."

"You won't get a dime when the court finds out that we got married under fraudulent circumstances." Starsky told her angrily.

"You'll have to prove that first…and by the time you do, I'll make sure that you've lost everything you have," Jessica said with a spiteful smile. Hutch reached out to grab Starsky's arm firmly as he took a threatening step towards Jessica.

"Take it easy, Starsk…she ain't worth it," he reminded the infuriated brunet. "She's just trying to get under your skin."

"That's right, bro…" Nicky sneered, "Listen to your _partner_." He made the word 'partner' sound like a dirty word, earning himself a glare from the big blond. Ignoring the clear warning in Hutch's ice blue eyes, he added, "Now you two can go back to being 'best friends' and whatever the hell you really are."

Hutch immediately turned and swung at Nicky, a big iron fist connecting solidly with the smaller man's jaw. Nicky's eyes rolled back and he slumped to the floor, out for the count. As Hutch shook the sting out of his fist, Jessica glared at both men and hissed,

"Get the fuck out of here! Both of you! Before I call the cops!"

"Just one more question," Starsky said ominously, glaring at the woman who had almost ruined his life. "Who's the father?"

"That's none of your damn business!" Jessica taunted him with a thin smile. "Now get the fuck out!"

The two detectives backed out of the room. The last thing Starsky saw before Hutch slammed the door closed was Jessica kneeling at Nicky's side, cradling his head in her lap. For the distraught brunet, it was the final straw, an image that would be painfully etched into his memory forever. Without thinking, he slammed his fist against the brick wall of the building, splitting open the knuckles on his left hand.

"That wasn't very smart, buddy," Hutch said gently, as he immediately grabbed Starsky's injured hand to examine the damage. "We need got to get you to the hospital. I think you broke your hand."

"Look whose talking," Starsky said with a snort. "You weren't worrying about your hand when you cold cocked Nicky."

"That's because he had it coming," Hutch said with a thin smile. "What did the wall ever do to you? Come on, Tiger. Let's get that hand looked at."

Starsky sullenly followed Hutch back to the car, cradling his wounded hand against his chest. After a three hour wait at the hospital, the doctor confirmed Hutch's suspicions. Starsky had indeed broken his hand along with three of his fingers. He would be in a cast from his fingertips to his elbow for at least the next six weeks. And, since he was left handed, that would prove to be a real pain in the ass.

For the two detectives, it meant desk duty, something they both hated. Hutch would suffer along with his partner since he refused to work the streets without Starsky by his side. He knew that Starsky would do the same if their positions were reversed. Captain Dobey would not be pleased when he found out that his favored team of detectives was grounded because of Starsky's impulsive act.

Hutch took Starsky home with him from the hospital; the brunet was groggy and giggling from the powerful pain killers that the doctor had given him. Starsky high on pain meds was almost as bad as dealing with an intoxicated brunet, but without the hang-over the next morning.

Hutch managed to get an uncooperative Starsky up the steps to his apartment and inside without any major complications until the brunet began to complain that he was hungry. No matter what Hutch suggested to eat, nothing appealed to Starsky, who wanted to go to The Pits for one of Huggy's specials. Knowing that Starsky was in no condition to go anywhere except to bed, Hutch finally coaxed him into letting the big blond fix him a hamburger. It wouldn't be as good as one of Huggy's specials but, in Starsky's present condition, Hutch didn't think that Starsky would notice.

And he was right. The brunet wolfed down the sandwich and then went out like a light, snoring lightly as he curled up on the sofa, his head resting on his new cast.

Hutch smiled down at his peacefully sleeping friend. Reaching out to brush his fingers through those unruly curls, he said, "Sleep well, buddy. We'll get you through this just like we always do…together."

Hutch's eyes darkened with anger when he thought about Jessica and Nick Starsky. Somehow, he would make sure that they paid for their mistreatment of his friend. He had his own suspicions about the true relationship between Nick and Jessica and he prayed that he was wrong. Hutch wasn't a detective for nothing, and he didn't like the way the clues were adding up. If Hutch's suspicions were right, it would devastate the brunet when he found out the truth.

The next day, Hutch decided to do some quiet investigating on his own. Only this time, it would be Nick Starsky that he was investigating. If nothing came of his investigation, then Starsky would never have to know anything about it. But, if his suspicions were confirmed than he would have to tell Starsky the truth. He rarely kept secrets from the intuitive brunet, but this time he was willing to make an exception to that rule and risk his best friend's wrath when he found out.

Hutch waited until Starsky was preoccupied taking a statement from a potential witness before making a discreet phone call. Loud music was playing in the background when Huggy Bear answered the phone.

"You got the Bear. It's your dime," Huggy chanted into the receiver.

"Huggy, it's Hutch. I need for you to do me a favor. I need for you to find out everything you can about why Nick Starsky is in town."

"You think he's up to his old tricks?"

"I hope not, for Starsky's sake."

"How's Curly doing?"

"Not so good. He told Nicky and Jessica to get out, and they trashed his place when they left." Hutch explained

"Oh, man…that sucks."

"Yeah, then he found them shacked up together at this motel room, and Jessica admitted that the baby isn't his."

"Oh, damn…that had to really tear him apart," Huggy said sympathetically. "He was really looking forward to having that kid and playing Daddy."

"Yeah, I know. Just see what you can find out. Okay?"

"Consider it done," Huggy said "You just take care of Curly Locks."

"You know it," Hutch said with a smile as he hung up the phone before Starsky came back.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Jessica twisted a strand of her hair, a nervous habit that she couldn't seem to break. Nicky, sporting a bruise on his chin courtesy of Hutch's fist, glared at her as he flagged down a cab. There was a tension between them that had been building every since the confrontation with Starsky the day before.

As they settled into the back of the cab for the short drive to see Jessica's attorney, Nicky growled,

"You should have kept your mouth shut about the kid not being Davey's, but no…you got pissed when he kicked us out, so you just had to get back at him!"

"What did you expect me to do?" Jessica defended herself. "Just sit back and take it?" She snorted "I do that enough with you."

"I'm not my brother."

"No, you aren't," Jessica said with a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you want it to mean." Jessica crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat, a sullen expression on her face. The rest of the drive was spent in a strained silence.

Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of a dingy storefront in one of the seedier neighborhoods in Bay City. With her limited resources, Jessica had to find the cheapest attorney she could afford. Bradley Owen was known as an 'ambulance chaser" among his more esteemed colleagues.

His office consisted of one room with a battered desk, a worn out filing cabinet, and a ratty chair for his clients. He didn't even have a secretary. The man himself didn't look much better than his office. He was heavyset, his suit was worn and faded, and his shirt was dingy. He needed a haircut, and his teeth were stained yellow from the cigars he smoked constantly. He crushed out the one he had been smoking when Jessica and Nicky came into the office. The ashtray was already overflowing, so the spent cigar fell to the floor beside the desk.

"Mrs. Starsky, I'm so glad you could make it on such short notice." He greeted Jessica with a cheeky smile.

"Well, I'm here now. What do you want?" Jessica was in no mood to be pleasant.

"Your soon to be ex-husband's attorney sent over his deposition and paperwork. It's pretty straight forward. His cross complaint is being filed on the grounds that you tricked him into marriage by telling him that you were pregnant with his child while in reality, he is not the father."

"Yeah, so?' Jessica said in a bored tone.

"I'm afraid that affects your case in a rather negative way."

"Cut to the chase…and use English…what does all that mean?"

"It means that under California law, since you married Mr. Starsky under fraudulent circumstances, you are prohibited from claiming any of the marital assets or any sort of spousal support. Furthermore, if you contest this action in any way, you can be charged with fraud."

"You're kidding. Right?" Nicky said with a snort.

"I'm afraid not."

"So you're basically telling me that I don't have a case at all!" Jessica snapped angrily. "I can't get anything!"

"I'm afraid not. That's the law. You can contest it, but in the end, Mr. Starsky would still win."

"Fuck you," Jessica snarled as she stood up "And fuck that bastard too!"

She stormed out of the office, leaving a stunned Nicky to follow her. He caught up with her at the curb.

"Looks like there's nothing we can do except head back to New York," he told her with a grunt. "It still could have worked if you had kept your mouth shut about that baby."

"Will you shut up about the damn baby? I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you. In case you've forgotten, this was all your idea. You were so sure your brother would be such an easy patsy."

"And he would have been if you hadn't decided to be such a bitch instead of the nice sweet little wifey, until the kid was born at least."

"That didn't give you the right to haul your ass out here to check up on me! All you did was make things worse."

"You did that all by yourself, honey," Nicky said with a thin smile. "You sure as hell didn't need any help from me."

"Yeah, well the sooner I have this kid the better. Then I can sign the papers to get rid of it and forget any of this ever happened."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Hutch looked at his scribbled notes and then discreetly slipped the small notebook back into his pocket. His worst suspicions had been confirmed. Huggy had come through and uncovered the dirt about Nicky and Jessica. They had been a couple for almost six months before Jessica's sudden move to Bay City. They hadn't even tried to conceal the fact that they were living together.

At the time, however, Jessica had been using the name Carla Bennet instead of her legal name When Hutch investigated her under that name, he found a police record for a variety of minor offences, including shop lifting and solicitation. Apparently, whatever form of fake ID she had been using; it had been good enough to fool the New York Police Department.

She had also moved to Bay City later than she had told Starsky. She had only been in town for a couple of weeks when she met the brunet at Huggy's bar, which clearly indicated that she was pregnant before she left New York, and that the father, in all likelihood, was Nick Starsky. That cleared up a lot of unanswered questions, but raised even more.

It was apparent to Hutch that Jessica had not gotten involved with Starsky at random. She had carefully planned her seduction. Did she believe, knowing that he was Nicky's brother, that she could pass the baby off as his due to the strong resemblance between the two men? Or did she have a more sinister motive in mind? And how much did Nick Starsky have to do with the whole scheme? Hutch knew that he had to tell Starsky about the new information he had uncovered. His partner had the right to know.

Hutch waited until after they were off duty and relaxing at Starsky's newly remodeled apartment. The sofa had been recovered in a soft brown tweed, and the coffee table had a glass top. They had both had a few beers and were feeling mellow. Tipping his bottle to take a sip, Hutch said nonchalantly, "I did some digging and came up with some things I think you should know."

"About Jessica?"

"Yeah…and about Nicky."

"They knew each other from New York, didn't they?" Starsky asked flatly, surprising the blond once more with his sharp instincts and keen mind. Too many people assumed that the brunet wasn't that intelligent because of his background and lack of formal education. But, actually, Starsky was one of the smartest, most intelligent men that Hutch knew. Not just street smart, but mostly self-taught from his eclectic choices in reading material. The man would read anything he could get his hands on, from his beloved trivia books to an encyclopedia. That curly head was crammed full of bits of information that would amaze most people.

"Yeah, pal…they did."

"The baby is Nicky's, isn't it?"

"Probably," Hutch admitted quietly.

"So, they both played me for a sucker." Starsky looked at Hutch, his eyes filled with a deep sadness and bitterness. "Nicky knew that I would do the right thing if I thought the baby was mine. I wouldn't just walk away the way he would."

"There's more. Apparently, Jessica has done this same thing before. Five years. She tricked this guy into marrying her using the same scam. Only this time, it really was his kid. When the baby was born, he paid her twenty-five thousand dollars to sign away all her rights to the baby and agree to an uncontested was before she met Nicky but if she told him about it, that's probably where the idea to scam you came from. They probably figured since you and Nicky look so much alike, you'd never know."

"The bottom line is: she used me. She played me for a sucker. They both did," Starsky grumbled.

"You're right, they did. But, her little scheme backfired on her when Nicky showed up."

"You really think that's what happened?"

"I'd bet money on it. I don't think she planned on Nicky arriving when he did."

"So, why did he show up?"

"Who knows? Knowing Nicky, maybe he was worried she'd slip up and you'd find out about the baby. Maybe he just wanted to be here to see how things played out. He probably thought, since the two of you were married, that Jessica had access to your bank accounts and credit cards."

"I bet he was pissed when he found out that I wasn't that stupid," Starsky said, with a thin smile. A puzzled frown appeared on his face. "Why didn't they just keep quiet? Let me go on thinking the baby was mine? I'd have still gotten stuck paying child support. Why did Jessica sue me for sole custody on the grounds that the baby wasn't mine?"

"I don't know," Hutch admitted. "I still haven't figured that one out myself. Maybe she got scared and figured if there was a long drawn out court case because of the baby that the truth would come out eventually."

"I guess we'll never know for sure unless Nicky or Jessica decides to come clean," Starsky commented sourly. "And I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Neither do I. I don't think either of them could tell the truth if their life depended on it."

Starsky's eyes clouded with sadness and he said softly, "It really sucks, Hutch…I really wanted that baby."

"I know you did, buddy." Hutch said, slipping a consoling arm around the brunet's shoulders. "But, at least you found out the truth now instead of farther down the road."

"Next time, I'll trust your instincts when it comes to one of my girlfriends. If you don't like her or she doesn't like you, then I'll know to cut her loose," Starsky said with a feeble attempt at humor to defuse the tension in the air.

"Guess that means we're stuck with each other, huh?" Hutch teased the brunet fondly.

"Yeah, well, don't expect me to give you no ring, because I'm through with marriage for good," Starsky quipped. He turned to Hutch with a crooked grin. "I guess you'll just have to settle for living together, Blondie."

"At least you don't have to worry about me getting pregnant by accident," Hutch shot back. Both men burst into laughter at the image that comment brought to mind.

"I'll call my attorney tomorrow and fill him in about all this, but I'll tell him not to use it in the divorce hearing unless he has to," Starsky said. "There are some things I'd rather keep under wraps, ya know?"

"Can't blame you there," Hutch agreed, rising to his feet to get them both another beer. "There's no need for anyone to know all the dirty little details."

"Except for you," Starsky said with a chuckle. He could feel the strength of the bond that held them together as the two friends exchanged a meaningful glance that spoke volumes without either one of them uttering a word.

The ringing of the telephone broke the silence. Hutch grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" He said. Starsky watched the play of emotions that crossed Hutch's handsome face as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line: irritation, anger, and something that came close to being hatred.

Slamming down the receiver without ever saying another word, he looked at Starsky and said, "That was Nicky. Jessica is in labor and, for whatever reason; he thought that you might want to know. He even had the nerve to ask me to find out if you wanted to be there."

"Why? So he can gloat?" Starsky growled, "I don't think so. I'm not that much of a sucker. What's he expect me to do? Forgive and forget?"

"With Nicky anything is possible. You know that." Hutch said with a snort of disgust as he continued on to the kitchen for their beers.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Starsky stood in front of the nursery window, staring at the newborn infant lying in the bassinet marked with the tag ' _Infant girl Starsky'._ For reasons of his own, he had felt compelled to come to the hospital to see the baby that he had believed was his for most of Jessica's pregnancy. She looked just like him-and Nicky, with a head full of dark curls, an olive toned complexion instead of the ruddy redness of most newborns, and blue eyes so dark they looked almost black in the overhead lights.

"Her name is Nicole Marie. I named her after her father." Jessica's voice suddenly said from behind his left shoulder.

Starsky turned slowly and stared at his estranged wife without much warmth.

"So Nicky is the father," Starsky said coldly, her words confirming what he already knew in his heart.

"Of course he is." Jessica surprised him by admitting the truth for a change.

"Why? Why did you lie to me and make me think that she was mine?" Starsky demanded angrily, keeping his voice low since he was in a hospital.

"It was Nicky's idea. He didn't want to be saddled down with a kid. He said he wasn't like you," Jessica said bitterly. "I wanted to just take care of the problem, but Nicky said if I could find a way to hook up with you and make you think you were the daddy, we could get our hands on some money. Only you refused to put my name on anything."

"So our whole relationship was built on pack of lies."

Jessica shrugged her shoulders indifferently and glanced through the nursery window at the peacefully sleeping baby. "Nicky still doesn't want her and I never did, so I'm giving her up for adoption. She'll be better off that way."

She turned and slowly walked away.

Starsky sighed softly and stole one last look at his niece. It still hurt to know that she wasn't his after all. The last seven months of his life had all been built on a lie. But, he couldn't forget the milestones that he had shared with Jessica during some of her better moods: feeling the baby move for the first time, watching her stomach expand with each passing month, believing that the life she was carrying was one that he had helped to create and planning for the baby's impending birth. Milestones that he never expected to experience again. Swallowing back the lump in his throat, he turned and slowly walked away.

He was surprised to find Hutch waiting for him in the lobby. Spotting his partner, the blond stretched his long legs and stood up, walking over to his friend. "I kind of figured I might find you here when you didn't answer the radio. Did you see the baby?"

"Yeah…she looks just like Nicky," he said with a snort. "Me too for that matter. Jessica's giving her up for adoption. She doesn't want her any more than Nicky ever did."

"I'm sorry, buddy. I wish she could have been yours," Hutch said, as the two men left the building side by side.

"Me too," Starsky admitted with a tiny smile. "That's probably the closest I'll ever get to being a father."

"You don't know that. It could still happen."

"I don't think so, Hutch. I think I lost my chance at ever having the kids and the little white house with the picket fence when Terry died. I'll never get that close again." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I have to call Ma and tell her the truth."

"From what I've seen, your mother is a strong lady. She'll be able to handle it," Hutch said, fondly remembering his own encounters with the feisty matriarch of the Starsky clan.

"Yeah," Starsky agreed with a smile. "She is…but she still needs to hear the whole story from me."

"Let's grab something to eat. You can call your mother later," Hutch suggested, hoping to lift Starsky's spirits with the promise of food.

The rest of their day was filled with mundane tasks. Since they were both still on desk duty that included filing charts, reviewing and typing up reports from other detectives, taking statements from witnesses or victims, and answering routine squad room calls. When they signed off for the day, Starsky declined Hutch's suggestion that they stop by The Pits on their way home. Tonight, he really felt the need to have some time alone with his thoughts. Dropping Hutch off at his apartment, Starsky headed for home.

He checked his mail as he pulled it from the box. Mostly bills and a letter from his mother. It could all wait till later. Letting himself into his empty apartment, he turned on the TV for some comforting background noise as he went into the bathroom to take a shower.

After his shower, he settled on the sofa and reached for the phone to call his mother in New York.

"Hey, Ma," He said when she answered. He tried to keep his tone light and upbeat but his mother knew him far too well to be fooled.

"What's wrong? Has something happened to Jessica or the baby?" Rachel Starsky demanded in his ear.

"Not exactly. Jessica had the baby. It's a little girl."

"That's wonderful!" Rachel gushed happily. "When can I come and see my granddaughter?"

"Ma, it's not that simple…Jessica and I are getting a divorce and she's giving the baby up for adoption."

"What? I don't understand."

"It's a long story but…the baby isn't mine. It belongs to Nicky."

"Nicky? Oh, God…what has that brother of yours done now?"

"Jessica and Nicky were together in New York. She was using the name Carla then."

"Jessica was Carla?" Rachel was quiet for several minutes as she processed this new information. When she finally spoke there was a solemn resignation in her voice. "I never liked that girl. But, that was the type of woman that Nicky seemed to like." She sighed deeply' "I can't believe that your brother and that woman would do something like this to you." Her voice gentled "Are you alright?"

"Hey, you know me. I'll be okay."

"What about Nicky and Jessica, or Carla, or whatever her name is…"

"I don't know, Ma, and I really don't care. As far as I'm concerned, they're both out of my life for good, and good riddance."

"They hurt you, and I will never forgive your brother for that. I've looked the other way too many times and let your brother get away with things I knew he shouldn't be doing…but not anymore. I'm coming out there for a few days."

"You don't have to do that. I told you I'll be okay."

"Don't argue with me, David. I'm coming, and that's final. I'll call you back when I know what flight I'll be on."

She hung up before Starsky could argue with her. The truth was the thought of spending some time letting his mother take care of him was exactly what he needed right now. Even a grown man still needed his mother now and then.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The next morning, Starsky woke up with a crick in his neck and a nagging headache. Three aspirins did little to ease the insistent pain that seemed to be centered in the back of his skull. The residual pain made him irritable and cranky most of the day. By the time he got home that evening, the dull ache had grown into a full blown migraine.

Gulping down some of his prescription medication, he walked into the bedroom and pulled the blinds to darken the room. Then he lay down on the bed and waited for the pills to take effect. He was almost asleep when the ringing of the telephone on the nightstand disturbed his rest and made his head explode with renewed agony.

"Yeah?" He answered the phone with a menacing growl.

"Is this David Starsky?" an unfamiliar feminine voice said in his ear.

"Yeah, who is this?" he demanded, desperate to end the call as soon as possible so he could unplug the phone until he got rid of his headache.

"This is Marcy Taylor. I'm the social worker at Good Samaritan Hospital. I'm calling because you need to come in tomorrow and sign the papers to release the baby for adoption."

"What?" Starsky asked in a confused voice, more alert now and still confused. The woman's words made no sense. "What papers?"

"The adoption papers so we can release your daughter for adoption. Your wife signed them before she checked out this afternoon and said that you'd be in tomorrow to sign them. I just need to know what time I can expect you."

"I…uh…" Starsky stammered, not sure what to say. He assumed that Jessica must have put his name on the baby's birth certificate as the father instead of Nicky. This was a complication he wasn't able to deal with rationally right now. Not without some sleep.

"Mr. Starsky," the woman from the hospital continued, "Without your signature, too, forfeiting your paternal rights to the child, we can't release her for adoption. So, unless you claim your daughter or sign the papers within the next twenty-four hours, we'll have no choice but to declare her an abandoned child and turn her over to the proper authorities."

"I need to call my lawyer," Starsky said. "Then I'll get back to you."

"Are you saying that you're having second thoughts about giving up the baby?" The social worker demanded.

"Look, lady…I'll call you tomorrow. Okay?" he said rudely, anxious to get her off the line. He hung up the phone, then immediately picked it up again and called Hutch. When the blond answered Starsky blurted out, "Hutch, I got a big problem. Can you come over right away?"

"I'm on my way," Hutch said without a second thought. If Starsky needed him, he would be there.

Hanging up again, Starsky forced himself out of bed, trying desperately to ignore the insistent pounding in his head. He walked into the living room and turned the lights on dim. Hutch arrived within twenty minutes, letting himself in with his key. One look at his partner's ashen face and he said, "You've got a migraine, don't you?"

"Yeah…but that's not why I called you," Starsky said, speaking softly in deference to the pain in his head. "I got a call from some social worker at the hospital. Jessica checked out this afternoon and she signed the adoption papers before she left."

"So? What's the problem?"

"I'm supposed to sign them, too. She must have listed me as the father on the birth certificate instead of Nicky."

"What are you gonna do? Even if you sign the papers, it wouldn't be legal. You're not the biological father."

"According to the birth certificate, I am. I'm going to call my lawyer in the morning to see what he thinks I should do." He looked at his partner and said, "Hutch, I could keep her and nobody would know the difference. Nobody knows the truth but you, me, Nicky and Jessica. And Ma…I called her last night."

"And your attorney," Hutch pointed out somberly.

"He doesn't know everything…not about Nicky anyway. I didn't have time to call him about that yet."

"Starsky, think about what you're suggesting," Hutch argued gently. "If Nicky ever found out what you did…and I have no doubt that he would eventually…he'd be sure to find a way to use it against you. Are you willing to take that kind of risk?"

"I don't know," Starsky admitted. "I just keep thinking that that baby didn't ask to be born, and she hasn't got anybody who cares about her now but me."

"Right now, I think you need to get some sleep. We can talk about this more in the morning. You're not exactly thinking straight right now. Did you take your medicine?"

Starsky nodded, swaying slightly, as Hutch carefully helped him to his feet and back into the bedroom. After making sure that the brunet was comfortable and on the verge of dozing off, Hutch unplugged the bedroom phone and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

The big blond sat down on the sofa, lost in thought. Whatever Starsky decided Hutch would stand beside him and give him all the emotional support he needed. He just hoped the brunet made the right decision, not only for himself, but for everyone else involved.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Starsky smiled at the infant sleeping peacefully in his arms, one tiny hand curled around his little finger, holding on tightly, even in her sleep. Despite Hutch's objections, Starsky couldn't turn his back on Nicole. Starsky's attorney had advised him that, in the eyes of the law, unless it was proven differently in court, Starsky was considered the biological father since Jessica had put his name on the birth certificate instead of Nicky.

Nicky and Jessica had left Bay City for parts unknown, presumably together, so the truth about Nicole's parentage was safe for now. The divorce from Jessica would be handled quietly and discreetly with Starsky being given sole custody of Nicole Lynn.

An ecstatic Rachel was flying in from New York for a few weeks to help care for the baby until Starsky could find a live-in housekeeper to care for her while he worked. His friends and co-workers had all rallied around the brunet, buying the story that Jessica had voluntarily skipped town and abandoned the baby for Starsky to raise on his own.

Nicole had stolen the brunet's heart the first time he held her in his arms. She may not be his daughter biologically, but she was in every other way that mattered. He already loved her fiercely and vowed to protect her in every way he could, even if it meant omitting some important facts about her heritage. She hadn't had any choice in who her real patents were; to the world around them, Starsky was her father. That was a role he intended to take very seriously—with some help from her Uncle Hutch, who had softened considerably when he held her for the first time.

"You ready to take your little girl home, buddy?" Hutch asked with a grin as he presented Starsky with the car seat that the Dobey's had bought for the baby.

"Yeah, I am," Starsky said with a happy grin. He gently laid the sleeping baby in the car seat, covering her with a light blanket decorated with circus animals, a special present from little Rosie Dobey, who was thrilled that her favorite Uncle Starsky was a daddy now.

Starsky raised his head to look at his best friend and partner.

His life had been turned upside down since the day that Jessica had told him that she was pregnant, and he would never have gotten through any of it without Hutch's support and friendship. Now he was about to embark on another major change in his life and he knew that he could count on Hutch to be there beside him for that too. That was all that mattered in the end. As long as he had Hutch by his side, the burnet knew that he could accomplish anything.

THE END? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.


End file.
